A  HUNDRE 

YEARS'  O 

RICHMON 

AlETHODISyn 


TRINITY  CHURCH. 


A  HUNDRED  YEARS  OF 
RICHMOND  METH2DISM 


THE  STORY  AS  TOLD  AT  THE 
CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  OF 


1899 


EDITED  BY 
EDWARD  LEIGH  PELL 


RICHMOND  VA 

THE  IDEA  PUBLISHING  CO 

1007  EAST  MAIN  ST 


O.  E.  Flanhart  Printing  Co.,  L.  H.  Jenkins,  Binder, 

Richmond,  Va.  Richmond,  Va. 


EDITOR'S  NOTE. 


In  the  selection  of  material  for  this  volume  the  aim 
has  been,  first,  to  preserve  all  of  the  historical  and 
biographical  information  presented  at,  or  brought 
to  light  by  the  Centennial  celebration;  and  second, 
to  publish  such  other  Centennial  matter  of  related 
character  as  the  remaining  space  would  allow. 

While  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  many  good  things 
spoken  at  the  Centennial  have  not  found  a  place  in 
these  pages,  it  will  be  readily  perceived  that  the  publi- 
cation of  all  the  addresses  would  have  destroyed  the 
unity  of  the  volume  and  neutralized  its  historical 
flavor. 

The  main  object  has  been  not  to  tell  the  story  of 
the  Centennial  celebration,  but  rather  to  record  the 
deeds,  principles  and  methods  which  made  such  a 
celebration  possible. 


INTRODUCTORY. 


The  idea  of  celebrating  the  one  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  establishment  of  Methodism  in  Rich- 
mond originated  with  the  Rev.  Joseph  T.  Mastin, 
pastor  of  Trinity  Church.  It  was  fitting  that  Trinity, 
"  the  old  mother  church,"  should  take  the  initiative 
in  such  a  movement,  and  to  this  end  Mr.  Mastin, 
early  in  the  autumn  of  1898,  brought  the  matter  to 
the  attention  of  his  Official  Board,  and  it  was  referred 
to  a  committee  for  consideration.  At  the  next  meet- 
ing of  the  Board  the  committee  recommended  that 
the  Methodist  Preachers'  Meeting  of  Richmond  and 
Manchester  "  be  requested  to  adopt  some  plan  to 
properly  celebrate  the  Centennial  of  Methodism  in 
Richmond;  "  whereupon  Mr.  Charles  W.  Hardwicke 
offered  as  a  substitute  a  resolution  committing 
Trinity  Church  to  the  inauguration  of  the  movement, 
and  inviting  the  cooperation  of  all  the  Methodists 
of  the  city. 

The  substitute  was  adopted,  and  on  the  evening  of 
January  26,  1899,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Board, 
nearly  two  hundred  representative  Methodists  of 
Richmond  met  at  Trinity  Church.  After  a  delightful 
social  hour,  during  which  supper  was  served  by  the 

[5] 


6  INTR  OD  UCTOR  Y. 

ladies  of  the  Church,  the  meeting  was  called  to  order 
by  the  pastor,  and  the  Rev.  R.  T.  Wilson,  presiding 
elder  of  the  Richmond  District,  was  requested  to  take 
the  chair.  A  brief  discussion  revealed  the  fact  that 
the  entire  Methodist  community  was  in  hearty  sym- 
pathy with  the  movement,  and  on  motion  of  Col. 
John  P.  Branch  it  was  unanimously  resolved  "  to 
celebrate  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  estab- 
lishment of  the  Methodist  Church  in  this  city."  A 
committee  composed  of  C.  W.  Hardwicke  (chairman), 
Rev.  J.  T.  Mastin,  R.  H.  Hardesty,  W.  H.  Allison, 
George  L.  Bidgood,  John  P.  Branch,  J.  Thompson 
Brown,  H.  Seldon  Taylor,  J.  S.  Brauer,  F.  W.  Graves, 
H.  C.  Osterbind,  C.  E.  Brauer,  A.  Maupin,  E.  M. 
Redford  and  W.  F.  Hudson  was  appointed  to  take 
the  matter  in  hand,  and  to  report  at  a  meeting  of  the 
pastors  and  official  members  to  be  held  at  Centenary 
Church  in  March. 

This  committee  met  shortly  afterwards  at  the 
residence  of  Col.  John  P.  Branch,  and  appointed  the 
following  committee  on  programme:  C.  W.  Hard- 
wicke, Rev.  J.  T.  Mastin,  Col.  John  P.  Branch, 
Dr.  W.  V.  Tudor,  Captain  W.  H.  Allison,  Dr.  W. 
G.  Starr,  H.  Seldon  Taylor  and  Dr.  J.  Powell 
Garland.  At  this  meeting  it  was  resolved  to  invite 
the  churches  of  Manchester,  Barton  Heights  and 
Highland  Park  to  unite  with  the  Richmond  churches 
in  the  celebration. 

The  gathering  of  the  pastors  and  official  members 
at  Centenary  on  the  evening  of  the  ninth  of  March 


INTRODUCTORY.  7 

was  a  notable  event.  Here,  as  at  Trinity,  the  social 
feature  was  made  prominent,  and  the  evening  was 
marked  by  many  happy  manifestations  of  fraternal 
feeling.  The  meeting  at  Trinity  had  awakened  a 
deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Methodism  as  related 
to  the  community  at  large,  and  a  sentiment  had  been 
developed  in  favor  of  making  the  Centennial  the 
beginning  of  a  great  church-extension  movement. 
This  sentiment  found  expression  at  Centenary  in  the 
following  resolution,  which  was  adopted: 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  Methodists  of  Richmond  and  Man- 
chester, form  an  organization  to  be  known  as  the  Church  Exten- 
sion Society  of  Richmond  and  Vicinity,  retaining  the  present 
officers  and  committees  until  the  first  Thursday  in  November, 
and  that  officers  be  elected  semi-annually  thereafter — that  is  to 
say,  on  the  first  day  of  November  and  the  first  day  of  May  of 
each  year. 

At  this  meeting  the  Centennial  Committee  was 
enlarged  by  the  addition  of  Messrs.  J.  H.  Busby,  A. 
D.  Shotwell,  W.  K.  Bache,  A.  H.  Thomas  and  R. 
F.  Yarborough,  representing  the  churches  of  Man- 
chester, Barton  Heights  and  Highland  Park. 

The  enthusiastic  cooperation  of  all  the  churches 
having  been  obtained  the  success  of  the  celebration 
was  assured,  and  the  preparations  were  now  pushed 
rapidly  to  completion.  Never  were  plans  more 
wisely  laid  or  more  faithfully  executed.  The  churches 
were  fortunate  in  having  such  a  leader  as  Mr.  Mastin, 
whose  enthusiasm  kindled  everyone  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact;  and  Mr.  Mastin  was  fortunate  in 


8  INTRODUCTORY. 

having  at  his  back  a  committee  representative  of  the 
best  executive  ability  of  the  churches. 

The  Methodist  Preachers'  Meeting  of  Richmond 
and  Manchester  adopted  by  a  rising  vote  a  resolution 
of  thanks  to  Mr.  Mastin  "  for  his  untiring  efforts 
to  make  the  Centennial  a  notable  event  in  the  history 
of  Methodism  in  this  city." 

Among  those  who  rendered  distinguished  service 
in  the  movement  the  name  of  the  chairman  of  the 
committee,  Mr.  Charles  W.  Hardwicke,  is  worthy  of 
special  mention. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION         .        .         .         .II 

THE  MAKING  OF  METHODISM  IN  RICHMOND 

I.  METHODISM  IN  RICHMOND  FOR  ONE  HUNDRED 

YEARS.     By  A.  G.  Brown,  D.  D.         .        .         .25 
II.  CENTENARY  AND  HER  COLONIES.    By  the  Rev. 

W.  W.  Lear 55 

III.  THE  WORK  OF  THE  LAYMAN'S  UNION   .   -63 

IV.  THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AND  THE  EPWORTH 

LEAGUE 66 

THE  MAKERS  OF  METHODISM  IN  RICHMOND 

I.  MEN  THAT  MADE  METHODISM.     By  the  Rev. 

J.  J.  Lafferty,  D.  L 73 

II.  GEORGE    FERGUSSON,  SAMUEL   PUTNEY,  AND 

WILLIAM  WILLIS.    By  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Reed     .  93 

III.  THE  RKV.  PHILIP  COURTNEY      ....  102 

IV.  WILLIAM  ALLISON.     By  W.  G.  Starr,  D.  D.        .  105 
V.  RICHARD  WHITFIELD 112 

VI.  JAMES  M.  TAYLOR.     By  W.  G.  Starr,  D.  D.         .     116 

VII.  CHARLES  TALBOTT 121 

VIII.  CORNELIUS  CREW 123 

IX.   DAVID  S.  DOGGETT  AND  THOMAS  BRANCH.      By 

Paul  Whitehead,  D.  D.         .        .        .        .         .126 

[9] 


10  CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

X.  ASA  SNYDER  .        .        ...  .  .  .    139 

XI.  ALBERT  L.  WEST  .       ...  .  .  .145 

XII.  WILLIAM  HOLT  RICHARDSON      .  ,  .    148 

XIII.  T.  L.  D.  WAI.FORD       .       .       .  .  „  .    150 

xrv.  ELECT  LADIES      .      .      .      .  .  .  .    152 

CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES 

I.  THE  INFLUENCE  OF  METHODISM  IN  THE  HIS- 
TORY OF  THE  AMERICAN  REPUBLIC.  By  W. 
G.  Starr,  D.  D 161 

II.  BUSINESS  INTERESTS  AS  AFFECTED  BY  METH- 
ODISM.   By  Col.  John  P.  Branch        .        .        .     189 

III.  THE  CONNECTIONAL  IDEA   AND  THE  LOCAL 

CHURCH.     By  W.  V.  Tudor,  D.  D.    .        .         .     192 

IV.  METHODISM  AND  CITY  EVANGELIZATION.    By 

W.  J.  Young,  D.  D -         .208 

V.  THE   SOCIAL  AND   REVIVAL   MEETINGS  OF 

METHODISM.    By  Henry  E.  Johnson,  D.  D.     .     219 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION. 
APRIL  23-27,  1899. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION. 


The  Centennial  was  celebrated  under  the  law  of 
liberty.  It  was  meet  that  the  spirit  of  the  fathers 
should  have  the  right  of  way,  and  it  was  assumed  that 
the  spirit  of  the  fathers  would  not  choose  a  way 
through  the  intricacies  of  imposing  ceremony.  And 
so,  instead  of  a  function  there  was  an  experience- 
meeting;  and  instead  of  a  parade  there  was  a  love- 
feast.  From  beginning  to  end  it  was  an  affair  of  the 
heart. 

It  began  early  in  the  morning  of  the  twenty-third 
of  April — a  Sunday  of  rare  beauty.  The  congrega- 
tion that  thronged  the  lecture  room  of  Trinity  Church 
at  the  opening  service  came  already  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  the  hour.  The  tide  of  feeling  rose  with  the 
gathering  of  the  people,  and  before  the  meeting 
began  it  had  run  over  in  many  a  thrilling  burst  of 
song. 

The  Rev.  J.  T.  Mastin,  pastor  of  Trinity,  spoke  fit 
words  of  welcome,  and  in  presenting  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Alexander  G.  Brown  as  leader  of  the  meeting,  said: 
"  Dr.  Brown  was  the  first  pastor  of  this  church,  and 
the  last  pastor  of  the  old  church  on  Franklin  street. 
Probably  the  first  service  in  this  building  was  held 

[13] 


U  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

in  this  room.  It  is  fitting  therefore  that  the  initial 
Centennial  service  should  be  held  here,  and  that  it 
should  be  conducted  by  Dr.  Brown." 

It  was  an  experience-meeting  of  the  old  type.  Dr. 
Brown  read  a  Scripture  lesson,  and  the  congregation 
sang,  "  Come  Thou  Fount  of  Every  Blessing." 
Then  Mr.  J.  W.  Fergusson,  an  honored  member  of 
Trinity,  and  the  oldest  official  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Church  in  Richmond,  led  in  prayer,  and  the 
meeting  was  open  for  testimonies.  It  was  a  memora- 
ble hour.  The  atmosphere  fairly  quivered  with  the 
spirit  of  the  past,  and  there  were  times  when  the  walls 
that  separated  the  visible  from  the  invisible  seemed 
a  mere  tissue,  too  thin  to  keep  out  the  sound  of 
voices  from  beyond. 

The  main  audience  room  was  packed  to  the  doors 
when  Bishop  Wilson  began  the  eleven  o'clock  service. 
The  opening  hymn,  "  Amazing  Grace  How  Sweet 
The  Sound,"  sung  as  the  old  fathers  loved  to  sing  it, 
struck  the  key-note  of  the  hour.  In  this  service,  as 
indeed  in  all  the  exercises  of  the  week,  the  entire 
audience  came  under  the  spell  of  the  wonderful  old 
tunes  that  had  been  resurrected  for  the  occasion. 
The  burden  of  the  Bishop's  sermon  was  that  only 
those  things  which  are  pure  and  good  shall  survive 
and  triumph.  The  text  was  Matthew  5  :  17:  "  Think 
not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law  or  the 
prophets;  I  am  not  come  to  destroy  but  to  fulfill." 
Dr.  Paul  Whitehead  and  Dr.  J.  J.  Lafferty  assisted 
in  the  devotional  exercises. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  15 

Services  appropriate  to  the  day  were  held  in  nearly 
all  the  churches.  In  the  morning  the  Rev.  E.  E. 
Hoss,  LL.  D.,  editor  of  the  "  Nashville  Christian 
Advocate,"  preached  at  Park  Place,  Dr.  William  G. 
Starr,  at  Laurel  Street,  and  the  Rev.  R.  Finley  Gayle 
at  Broad  Street.  At  night  Bishop  Wilson  preached 
at  Centenary,  Dr.  Hoss  at  Broad  Street  and  Dr.  W. 
V.  Tudor  at  Union  Station.  Several  pastors  who 
occupied  their  own  pulpits  preached  Centennial 
sermons.  At  all  the  churches  there  were  great  con- 
gregations and  many  people  were  turned  away  for 
lack  of  room.  A  pleasurable  incident  of  the  day 
was  the  playing  of  old  tunes  on  the  Centenary  chime. 

The  Sunday  School  reunion  at  Trinity  Church  in 
the  afternoon  was  attended  by  representatives  of 
every  denomination  and  every  sphere  of  life.  Among 
the  persons  of  distinction  in  the  audience  were  the 
Governor  of  the  State  and  the  Mayor  of  the  City. 
The  exercises,  which  were  conducted  by  the  pastor, 
included  addresses  by  the  Hon.  Addison  Maupin, 
president  of  the  Methodist  Sunday  School  Society  of 
Richmond,  and  the  Rev.  J.  C.  Reed  (a  former  pastor 
of  the  church),  and  impromptu  speeches  by  Governor 
Tyler,  Dr.  W.  V.  Tudor,  Dr.  J.  Powell  Garland  (who 
was  at  one  time  pastor  of  Trinity),  the  Rev.  James 
Cannon,  Jr.,  and  Mr.  George  L.  Bidgood.  Mr. 
Maupin  spoke  on  "  The  School  of  the  Present,"  Mr. 
Reed  on  "  The  School  of  the  Future."  Governor 
Tyler  gave  some  delightful  reminiscences  of  his  work 
as  a  superintendent  of  a  Methodist  Sunday  School. 


16  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

In  a  brief  sketch  of  the  history  of  Trinity- Sunday 
School,  Mr.  Mastin  said  that  it  is  the  oldest  Sunday 
School  in  continuous  operation  in  the  State,  having 
maintained  its  organization  without  a  break  since 
1814.  The  school  at  first  met  in  the  gallery  of  the 
church  on  Nineteenth  and  Franklin  streets,  but  the 
class-meeting  being  held  at  the  same  hour  in  the  body 
of  the  church,  the  work  was  so  seriously  embarrassed 
by  the  songs  and  shouts  of  the  brethren  that  a  change 
of  quarters  became  necessary,  and  it  was  moved  to 
the  school-house  of  Miss  Mary  Bowles,  a  Methodist 
lady  of  remarkable  gifts  and  wide  influence. 

Mr.  Mastin's  reference  to  Miss  Bowles  led  to  a 
happy  incident.  The  Rev.  James  Cannon,  Jr.,  arose 
and  said : 

"  I  have  just  learned  of  an  instance  which  I  think 
will  be  of  interest  at  this  time.  Since  your  remarks 
about  Miss  Bowles  this  card  which  I  hold  in  my  hand 
has  been  handed  to  me.  It  reads  as  follows : 

"  On  one  side — 

"  They  found  the  Child  in  the  Temple,  sitting  in  the  midst  of 
the  doctors,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  questions." — 
St.  Luke,  2nd  Chapter,  46th  verse. 

M.  B. 
Richmond.  Va.,  Dec.  25th,  1828. 

"  On  the  other  side — 

Master  Wallace  is  entitled  to  one  dollar  for  punctual  attend- 
ance, good  behavior,  and  the  uncommon  progress  he  has  made 
in  learning.  M.  B. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett. 


THE  REV.  JOSEPH  T.   MASTIN, 

Pastor  Trinity  Church. 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  17 

"  This  card  was  given  to  the  late  Dr.  W.  W. 
Bennett  when  he  was  seven  years  old,  was  kept  by 
him  in  his  pocket-book  to  the  day  of  his  death,  when 
it  was  removed  and  has  been  carefully  preserved 
since.  Who  can  tell  what  influence  it  had  upon  his 
long  and  active  life !  " 

After  Sunday  the  meetings  were  held  during  the 
day  at  Broad  Street  Church,  and  in  the  evening  (with 
one  exception),  at  Centenary;  and  were  presided  over 
alternately  by  Dr.  J.  Powell  Garland,  presiding  elder 
of  the  West  Richmond  District,  and  the  Rev.  R.  T. 
Wilson,  presiding  elder  of  the  Richmond  District. 
The  exercises  on  Monday  began  at  eleven  o'clock 
with  a  service  of  song  conducted  by  Dr.  Tudor. 
The  singing  was  led  by  a  chorus  of  a  hundred  voices, 
which  had  been  trained  for  the  celebration  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Tudor  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Mitchell,  choir- 
master, and  Mr.  Shepherd  Webb,  organist.  At  the 
conclusion  of  this  service  Dr.  E.  E.  Hoss  delivered 
an  address  on  "  The  Sources  of  Power  in  Metho- 
dism." 

In  the  afternoon  there  were  addresses  by  Col.  A. 
S.  Buford  of  Broad  Street  Church,  and  Col.  John 
P.  Branch  of  Centenary,  on  "  Our  Church  in  its 
Relations  to  Business  Life; "  and  a  paper  by  Dr. 
Alexander  G.  Brown  on  "  Methodism  in  Richmond 
for  One  Hundred  Years,"  which  on  account  of  the 
author's  indisposition  was  read  by  Prof.  R.  E.  Black- 
well  of  Randolph-Macon  College. 


18  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

In  the  evening  at  Centenary  Bishop  Wilson  de- 
livered an  address  on  Foreign  Missions. 

Tuesday  had  been  set  apart  as  missionary  day,  but 
there  were  necessary  changes  in  the  programme 
which  gave  to  the  exercises  a  varied  character.  At 
the  morning  meeting  Dr.  J.  J.  Lafferty  portrayed 
the  trials  and  triumphs  of  the  men  who  made  Metho- 
dism, and  Bishop  Wilson  spoke  on  Foreign  Missions, 
with  special  reference  to  the  work  of  the  Woman's 
Board.  In  the  afternoon,  Dr.  Henry  E.  Johnson, 
made  an  address  on  "  The  Social  and  Revival  Meet- 
ings of  Methodism,"  which  prepared  the  way  for 
an  experience  meeting,  during  which  the  entire 
audience  was  swept  by  a  surge  of  emotion,  and 
the  thrilling  scenes  of  Sunday  morning  were  repeated. 

In  the  evening  at  Centenary  Dr.  W.  J.  Young, 
pastor  of  Epworth  Church,  Norfolk,  spoke  on 
"  Methodism  and  City  Evangelization."  The  Rev. 
W.  B.  Beauchamp,  who  was  on  the  programme  for 
an  address  on  "  The  Open  Door  for  City  Mission 
Work  in  Richmond,"  was  too  unwell  to  fill  his  en- 
gagement, but  his  address  appears  in  this  volume. 

Wednesday  morning  Dr.  William  V.  Tudor  spoke 
on  "  The  Connectional  Idea  and  the  Local  Church," 
and  the  Rev.  R.  Finley  Gayle  on  "  What  the  Church 
is  to  Me."  The  afternoon  meeting  was  devoted 
to  the  memory  of  the  heroes  who  helped  make 
Methodism  what  it  is  in  Richmond.  The  Rev.  James 
C.  Reed  recalled  the  lives  of  George  Fergusson. 
Samuel  Putney  and  William  Willis — names  identified 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  19 

with  the  earliest  history  of  Richmond  Methodism. 
Dr.  W.  G.  Starr  read  brief  sketches  of  William  Allison 
and  James  M.  Taylor,  leading  spirits  who  rendered 
eminent  service  to  the  Church  "  in  the  midst  of  the 
century,"  and  the  Rev.  W.  W.  Lear  read  a  historical 
paper  relating  to  the  same  period,  entitled  "  Cente- 
nary and  her  Colonies."  Dr.  Paul  Whitehead  read 
a  character  sketch  of  David  S.  Doggett  and  also  of 
Thomas  Branch,  representative  Methodists  of  the 
generation  that  has  just  passed  away. 

At  night  Dr.  William  G.  Starr  spoke  at  Centenary 
Church  on  "  The  Influence  of  Methodism  in  the 
History  of  the  American  Republic." 

Thursday  was  Sunday-School  day.  At  the  morn- 
ing meeting  the  Hon.  Addison  Maupin  gave  a  brief 
sketch  of  the  Sunday  School  work  of  Richmond  and 
adjacent  districts;  and  the  Hon.  John  Lamb,  member 
of  Congress,  delivered  an  address  on  the  influence 
and  possibilities  of  the  Sunday  School.  A  feature  of 
the  day  was  .the  presence  of  the  Sunday  School 
Editor  of  the  Church,  Dr.  James  Atkins,  who  spoke 
in  the  morning  on  "  The  Sunday  School  as  an 
Educator,"  and  in  the  afternoon  on  "  The  Old-time 
School  and  the  New."  Other  speakers  in  the  after- 
noon were  Mr.  Gilbert  J.  Hunt  of  Richmond,  who 
gave  some  reminiscences  of  his  work  as  a  Superin- 
tendent, and  the  Rev.  C.  L.  Bane,  who  prepared  the 
way,  for  a  Sunday  School  experience-meeting. 

The  celebration  reached  its  culmination  in  the 
closing  exercises,  which  were  held  Thursday  night  in 


20  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Broad  Street  Church.  Although  it  was  known  that 
the  evening  would  be  devoted  wholly  to  an  old-time 
love-feast,  the  people  came  in  such  numbers  that  it 
became  necessary  to  hold  an  overflow  meeting  in 
the  basement.  The  exercises  in  the  main  auditorium 
were  conducted  by  Dr.  Tudor,  while  the  overflow 
meeting  was  in  charge  of  Dr.  H.  E.  Johnson.  A 
pleasing  incident  at  the  beginning  of  the  love-feast 
was  the  spontaneous  adoption  of  a  suggestion  made 
by  Dr.  Garland  that  the  audience,  by  a  rising  vote, 
tender  its  thanks  to  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Mastin,  to  whose 
efforts  the  success  of  the  Centennial  was  mainly 
due.  Almost  the  entire  congregation  partook  of  the 
elements  of  the  feast,  and  probably  more  than  half 
a  hundred  persons  testified  to  their  love  for  Christ. 
The  secular  press,  in  reporting  the  meeting,  thought 
it  worth  while  to  note  that  among  those  who  spoke 
were  representatives  of  the  highest  walks  of  life. 
Many  of  the  testimonies  were  deeply  affecting,  and 
together  with  the  singing  of  the  old-time  hymns 
kept  the  audience  in  a  tremor  of  emotion.  The 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  shown  by  many 
infallible  proofs.  Souls  were  converted  and  wan- 
derers were  reclaimed.  The  last  moments  were  full 
of  tenderness.  "  The  Old  Ship  of  Zion  "  was  sung 
as  it  has  probably  never  been  sung  since  the  heroic 
age  of  Methodism,  and  the  meeting  came  to  its  close 
amid  showers  of  tears  and  of  blessing. 

Thus  ended  one  of  the  greatest  religious  festivals 
Methodism  has  ever  known.    The  exercises  furnished 


THE  CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  21 

little  material  for  narrative,  being  singularly  devoid 
of  parade  and  sensational  incident,  but  the  addresses 
furnished  much  rich  material  for  record,  as  a  glance 
at  the  following  pages  will  show.  The  best  part  of 
the  feast — the  revival  of  sacred  memories,  the  pro- 
found stirring  of  the  emotions,  and  the  gracious 
manifestations  of  the  Holy  Spirit — will  have  perma- 
nent record,  it  is  confidently  believed,  in  the  future 
of  Richmond  Methodism  and  in  the  lives  of  a  multi- 
tude of  Richmond  Methodists. 


THE    MAKING    OF    METHODISM    IN 
RICHMOND. 


I. 

METHODISM  IN  RICHMOND  FOR  ONE 
HUNDRED  YEARS. 

BY  ALEXANDER  G.   BROWN,   D.   D. 

It  will  be  readily  perceived  that  the  subject  assigned 
to  me  is  too  broad  to  be  treated  with  anything  like 
thoroughness  in  the  time  allotted  to  this  address. 
I  will  not  be  expected  therefore  to  present  a  con- 
nected history  except  in  outline,  tracing  as  I  may  be 
able  the  numerical  and  material  growth  of  Richmond 
Methodism  from  the  year  1799,  when  our  first  house 
of  worship  was  built  and  when  the  membership  was 
only  twenty-eight,  to  this  centennial  year,  when  we 
have  fifteen  churches  and  a  membership  of  6,458. 

Accepting  as  our  starting  point  the  first  Methodist 
church  built  in  the  city  of  Richmond  in  the  year  1799, 
I  will  ask  you  to  go  with  me  to  the  site  of  that  sacred 
edifice,  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Nineteenth  and 
Franklin  streets. 

The  house  was  built  of  brick,  fronting  thirty-five 
feet  on  Franklin  street,  and  running  back  forty  feet 
in  a  line  with  Nineteenth  street;  and  although  when 
compared  with  the  church  architecture  of  to-day  it 

[25] 


S6  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

may  be  said  to  have  been  an  inexpensive  and  un- 
attractive edifice,  yet  as  a  matter  of  fact,  it  surpassed 
in  cost,  quality  and  seating  capacity  the  old  colonial 
church  of  St.  John's  parish. 

This,  our  first  church,  was  formally  set  apart  to  the 
worship  of  Almighty  God  early  in  the  year  1800,  when 
there  were  only  twenty-eight  white  Methodists  in  the 
city,  and  these  for  the  most  part  not  of  the  native 
population  but  immigrants  from  England  and  else- 
where. The  first  pastor  in  charge  was  Thomas  Lyell, 
who  was  transferred  by  Bishop  Asbury  from  the 
Baltimore  to  the  Virginia  Conference  in  May,  1799. 
He  was  a  comparatively  young  man,  a  good  speaker 
and  full  of  zeal  in  the  ministry.  His  talents  were  of 
the  popular  type,  and  he  soon  became  a  great  favorite 
and  won  the  admiration  and  confidence  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Thanks  to  the  old  Baltimore  Conference,  and  to 
the  venerable  and  revered  Bishop  Asbury  for  the 
gift  of  this  man  of  God  who  first  planted  Methodism 
firmly  in  Virginia's  capital  city!  It  is  refreshing  to 
recall  that  in  those  early  days  our  episcopacy  did  not 
hesitate  when  necessary  to  exercise  the  transfer 
power,  and  that  the  transferred  brother,  when  he 
came,  received  a  brother's  welcome  and  worked  as 
a  brother  in  the  name  and  to  the  glory  of  God. 

Soon  after  coming  to  Richmond  Mr.  Lyell  began 
to  arrange  for  the  building  of  this  first  house  of 
worship,  and  after  a  laborious  effort  succeeded  in 
having  it  completed  and  in  possession  of  the  congre- 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  87 

gation  by  the  close  of  the  first  and  only  year  of  his 
pastorate.  Indeed,  it  appears  to  have  been  ready  for 
use  before  that  time.  "  I  would  have  preached  within 
the  walls  of  our  new  house  of  worship  at  Richmond," 
writes  Bishop  Asbury  in  his  journal,  September  8, 
*799>  "  but  the  excessive  rains  we  had  prevented." 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  this  first  church,  the 
Methodists  were  permitted  to  worship  in  the  old 
Henrico  County  courthouse,  located  on  East  Main 
street,  where  the  present  courthouse  now  stands.  In 
a  short  while,  however,  this  privilege  was  withdrawn 
on  complaint  of  the  people  residing  in  the  vicinity 
that  the  loud  singing  and  shouting  of  the  enthusiastic 
brethren  was  a  serious  disturbance  of  their  peace. 
They  were  compelled  therefore  to  betake  themselves 
to  the  common,  and  to  worship,  as  best  they  could, 
in  the  open  air  under  the  broad  canopy  of  heaven. 
But  the  Lord,  who  opened  the  heart  of  Lydia,  Paul's 
first  European  convert,  opened  the  way  for  the 
Methodist  Church  through  the  heart  of  an  elect  lady 
whose  name  and  noble  deeds  should  never  be  for- 
gotten by  our  Methodist  people. 

Among  the  strangers  from  abroad  who  had  settled 
in  Richmond  was  a  family  by  the  name  of  Parrott. 
Though  neither  rich  nor  influential,  they  seem  to  have 
possessed  a  comfortable  home,  with  means  sufficient 
to  enable  them  to  help  their  brethren  and  to  dispense 
a  generous  hospitality.  Mr.  Parrott,  though  not  a 
member  of  the  church,  was  warmly  attached  to  the 
Methodists  and  showed  them  great  kindness  and 


S8  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

liberality.  His  wife  and  daughters  were  Wesleyan 
Methodists  of  the  best  type,  full  of  zeal  and  liberality, 
ever  ready  to  do  anything  in  their  power  for  the  cause 
of  Christ.  The  family  resided  on  the  south  side  of 
Main  street,  near  the  first  market,  and  their  house 
was  recognized  as  the  Methodist  preacher's  home. 
Bishop  Asbury  refers  in  complimentary  terms  to  this 
family  in  his  journal.  "  Who  could  be  kinder 
to  us  than  Mr.  Parrott  and  his  wife? "  he  asks. 
Again  after  a  visit  to  this  family  accompanied  by  Dr. 
Coke  and  Richard  Whatcoat,  he  makes  this  entry: 
"  Who  could  make  sickly  travelers  more  welcome 
than  Mr.  Parrott  and  his  wife?  "  There  was  in  the 
rear  of  the  Parrott  residence  a  large  building,  which 
had  been  used  as  a  barn  or  stable.  With  the  consent 
and  cooperation  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Parrott  caused 
this  building  to  be  fitted  up  for  a  place  of  worship 
for  the  Methodist  people,  and  here  the  feeble  band  of 
Richmond  Methodists  assembled  regularly  for  wor- 
ship. 

In  this  lowly  retreat,  many  of  the  ablest  and  most 
eloquent  of  the  early  Methodist  preachers  dispensed 
the  word  of  Life,  God  being  graciously  with  them 
and  revealing  to  them  his  power  and  glory.  Among 
them  was  Asbury,  the  recognized  apostle  and  founder 
of  American  Methodism;  Dr.  Coke,  the  great  scholar 
and  missionary,  who  gave  not  only  a  large  fortune 
but  a  great  personality — and  his  own  life  also — to  the 
work  of  Christian  missions  in  this  and  in  other  lands. 
I  may  also  add  the  names  of  McKendree,  Jesse  Lee 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  29 

and  Bishop  Whatcoat — names  that  have  been  made 
immortal  not  only  in  Methodist  history,  but  in  the 
hearts  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousand  whose  souls 
have  been  saved  through  the  Methodist  ministry. 

The  congregation  having  grown  too  large  to  be  ac- 
commodated in  the  "  stable  church,"  as  it  was  called, 
application  was  made  for  the  privilege  of  returning 
to  the  county  courthouse.  This  was  granted,  and 
here  the  Methodists  continued  to  worship  until  their 
church  was  completed. 

Richmond  had  been  for  some  years  an  appointment 
on  a  circuit,  but  in  May,  1799,  it  was  made  a  separate 
pastoral  charge,  or  station,  and,  as  already  stated, 
the  Rev.  Thomas  Lyell  was  assigned  as  its  pastor. 
He  held  service  every  Sunday  morning  in  the  old 
county  courthouse,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same 
day  preached  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Delegates, 
to  which  his  talents  attracted  large  crowds. 

It  is  well  known  that  in  1772  Methodism  was 
planted  and  took  root  at  Norfolk,  and  quickly  spread 
through  the  cities  and  counties  of  the  southside 
section  of  the  State,  under  the  leadership  and  power- 
ful ministry  of  Robert  Williams,  to  whom  belongs 
the  honor  of  having  been  the  founder  and  great 
apostle  of  Methodism  in  this  Commonwealth.  As 
Norfolk  was  in  comparatively  easy  and  regular  com- 
munication with  Richmond,  it  seems  strange  that 
twenty-eight  years  should  have  elapsed  before  Metho- 
dism was  organized  in  Richmond,  and  before  any 
attempt  was  made  to  provide  a  house  of  worship  for 


SO  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

its  people  in  our  capital  city.  But  perhaps  it  is  not 
less  surprising  that  at  a  time  when  the  entire  popula- 
tion of  Richmond  did  not  exceed  5,000,  and  when  the 
inhabitants  were  for  the  most  part  indifferent,  if  not 
hostile,  to  religious  enterprises,  and  especially  to 
Methodism,  that  a  few  Methodists  of  scanty  resources 
should  have  attempted  to  erect  such  a  church  building 
as  that  which,  after  a  desperate  struggle,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  completing  at  the  corner  of  Nineteenth 
and  Franklin  streets.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that, 
with  the  exception  of  a  small  mission  chapel  erected 
by  the  Baptists  in  the  extreme  western  section  of  the 
city,  near  where  the  State  penitentiary  now  stands, 
this  was  the  first  house  of  worship  built  in  Richmond 
by  the  voluntary  contributions  of  the  people.  It  is 
true  that  St.  John's  Church,  on  Church  Hill,  dates 
from  the  year  1740,  and  is,  therefore,  the  oldest 
church  in  the  city;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that 
it  is  a  colonial  building,  erected  by  the  English 
government  and  that  it  belonged  to  the  Established 
Church  of  England.  For  many  years  before  the  era 
of  American  independence  it  derived  its  support  not 
from  the  people,  but  from  the  ecclesiastical  revenues 
of  the  English  government.  At  the  time  of  the 
Revolution  St.  John's  Church  was  seldom  open  for 
religious  worship,  for  the  rector  preached  there  only 
three  times  a  year,  namely,  at  Christmas,  Easter  and 
Whitsuntide;  and  this  was  done,  so  the  historian  tells 
us,  not  to  supply  the  religious  wants  of  the  com- 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  31 

munity,  but  to  prevent  a  forfeiture  of  his  right  to  the 
glebe  lands  and  the  revenues  derived  therefrom. 

These  remarks  must  not  be  understood  in  any 
invidious  sense;  for  nothing  could  be  further  from  my 
heart  than  to  utter  a  word  to  the  disparagement  of 
that  old  church,  dear  to  us  all,  which,  with  only  slight 
architectural  modifications,  still  stands,  as  in  the  days 
of  the  colony,  in  the  center  of  the  old  cemetery,  em- 
bosomed in  a  beautiful  grove  where  some  of  Vir- 
ginia's earliest  and  most  illustrious  citizens  and 
patriots  sleep  in  honored  graves.  It  was  around  the 
altar  of  that  ancient  church  that  the  celebrated  Vir- 
ginia Convention  of  1788  met  to  ratify  the  federal 
constitution  of  which  Jefferson,  Monroe,  Madison, 
Marshall,  Randolph,  Taswell,  Barbour  and  Lee  were 
among  the  most  distinguished  members;  and  here  it 
was  that,  in  the  convention  of  1775,  just  before  the 
outbreak  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  when  Patrick 
Henry  was  urging  the  convention  to  take  decisive 
steps  against  English  tyranny  and  oppression  he  used 
the  immortal  words  that  became  the  battle  cry  of  the 
war  for  our  national  independence,  and  fired  the  hearts 
of  the  American  people  from  one  end  of  the  land  to 
the  other.  "  There  is  no  retreat  but  in  submission  and 
slavery.  Our  chains  are  already  forged;  their  clank- 
ing may  be  heard  on  the  plains  of  Boston  Commons : 
the  next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  north  will  bring 
the  clash  of  resounding  arms.  I  know  not  what 
course  others  may  take,  but  as  for  me,  give  me  liberty, 
or  give  me  death !  "  It  may  be  a  question  with  some 


SS  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

whether  the  House  of  God  was  a  proper  place  for 
such  a  convention  to  have  been  held,  but  who  can 
doubt  that  God  was  then  and  there  in  his  holy  temple, 
and  that  the  divine  Spirit  inspired  the  tongue  of 
Virginia's  greatest  orator! 

Richmond  was  permanently  established  as  a  station 
in  1808,  and  the  following  year  reported  112  white 
members.  In  1812  there  were  256  white  members. 
The  highest  point  reached  in  any  one  of  the  thirteen 
years  next  succeeding  was  244,  but  in  1825,  when 
Rev.  Joseph  Carson  took  charge,  there  were  only  200. 
Thus  during  the  seventeen  years  from  1808  to  1825, 
the  net  increase  in  the  church  membership  was  only 
88.  Mr.  Carson  served  two  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  reported  385,  a  net  gain  of  185,  nearly 
doubling  the  membership.  These  figures  attest  more 
eloquently  than  any  words  I  could  employ,  the  power 
and  effectiveness  at  that  time  of  the  ministry  of 
Joseph  Carson,  who  was  one  of  the  most  eminent 
revivalists  of  his  day.  Other  denominations  shared 
largely  in  the  fruits  of  his  labors  in  Richmond,  and 
a  religious  sentiment  was  generated  which  was  a 
great  uplift  and  a  permanent  benefit  to  the  whole 
community.  Indeed  his  ministry  here  marks  a  new 
era  of  prosperity  and  power  in  Richmond  Methodism. 

In  1827  two  churches,  Trinity  and  Shocco  Hill, 
appear  on  the  minutes,  with  William  Hammett  and 
G.  W.  Carlton  as  preachers  in  charge.  At  this  time, 
although  the  progress  of  Methodism  had  not  been 
so  great  as  could  have  been  desired,  our  church  stood 


ALEXANDER  G.    BROWN,  D.  D, 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  33 

fully  abreast,  if  not  in  advance,  of  other  denomina- 
tions in  the  city. 

Before  proceeding  to  trace  the  further  progress 
of  the  church,  I  wish  to  invite  your  attention  to  a 
scene  in  the  early  history  of  the  old  First  Church, 
which  rises  to  the  highest  point  of  sublimity.  It  was 
on  the  occasion  of  Bishop  Asbury's  last  sermon.  The 
time  was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  March  24, 
1816.  Faint  yet  pursuing,  the  tireless  and  self-deny- 
ing Bishop  on  reaching  Richmond  on  his  way  to 
Baltimore,  after  resting  a  while  in  the  companionship 
of  dear  friends,  expressed  a  desire  to  deliver  what  he 
thought  would  be,  and  what  in  fact  proved  to  be, 
his  last  sermon  to  our  people.  His  brethren,  fearing 
that  he  might  die  in  the  effort,  endeavored  to  dissuade 
him,  but  he  insisted,  saying,  "  I  must,  once  more, 
deliver  the  gospel  message  in  Richmond."  He  was 
taken  to  the  door  of  the  church  in  a  carriage,  and 
thence  borne  in  a  chair  to  the  pulpit  and  the  chair 
placed  on  a  table.  For  nearly  an  hour  he  preached 
with  much  fervour  and  affection  from  the  words, 
"  For  He  will  finish  the  work  and  cut  it  short  in 
righteousness,  because  a  short  work  will  the  Lord 
make  upon  the  earth."  (Romans  9:  28.)  He  spoke 
with  great  difficulty,  being  compelled  to  pause  at 
brief  intervals  to  recover  breath,  and  his  hearers  were 
deeply  and  profoundly  affected.  It  could  hardly  have 
been  otherwise.  To  behold  a  venerable  old  man, 
bent  and  wasting  away  under  the  labors  of  many 
years,  whose  silver  locks  and  pallid  countenance  and 
3 


34  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

trembling  limbs  presaged  that  his  earthly  race  was 
nearly  finished — yet  to  see  in  the  midst  of  these 
melancholy  signals  of  decaying  nature  a  great  soul 
brightly  beaming  with  immortality,  and  a  heart 
kindled  with  fire  from  heaven's  altar — to  behold  such 
a  man,  and  hear  from  his  lips  such  an  address  on  the 
concerns  of  time  and  eternity — what  heart  could  be 
so  insensible  as  to  withstand  the  impressions  which 
this  scene  was  calculated  to  produce? 

Exhausted  almost  to  fainting  by  the  effort,  he  was 
borne  to  his  carriage  and  taken  to  his  lodgings.  On 
Monday  he  rested.  Tuesday  he  set  out,  hoping  to 
be  able  to  reach  Baltimore  by  easy  stages,  but  he 
did  not  get  farther  than  Spottsylvania  County,  where, 
at  the  house  of  his  old  friend,  George  Arnold,  on 
Sunday,  March  31,  1816,  he  breathed  his  last.  Thus 
fell  this  great  man  (who  in  other  fields  might  have 
been  a  Richelieu  or  a  Caesar),  leading  an  army  of  over 
two  hundred  thousand  Methodists,  which,  when  he 
was  ordained  bishop,  did  not  number  fifteen  thou- 
sand. 

In  the  year  1812,  Shocco  Methodist  Church,  on 
the  south  side  of  Marshall  street,  between  Fourth 
and  Fifth  streets,  was  completed,  and  dedicated  to 
the  worship  of  God  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Logan 
Douglas.  Its  first  pastor  was  G.  W.  Carlton,  a  man 
of  splendid  abilities.  The  completion  of  the  building 
was  delayed  by  serious  financial  embarrassments. 
When  Bishop  Asbury  came  through  Richmond  in 
1811,  the  friends  of  the  movement  were  about  to 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  S5 

abandon  it.  The  house  was  then  under  roof,  but, 
for  lack  of  means,  work  upon  it  had  been  suspended 
for  some  time.  He  reached  the  city  on  Saturday, 
February  24,  and  on  Sunday  morning  called  together 
a  number  of  the  leading  church-members,  who  re- 
paired to  the  unfinished  building,  and  upon  a  few 
loose  boards  laid  down  for  the  occasion,  held  a  prayer- 
meeting.  He  urged  the  people  to  go  forward  with 
the  work  they  had  in  hand.  They  nobly  responded. 
The  necessary  amount  of  money  was  raised,  and  the 
work  was  soon  finished.  This  building  was  used  by 
the  congregation  until  1841,  when  it  was  sold  to  Mr. 
Wm.  Evans  for  $2,200.  Shocco  Church  is  still 
standing,  though  abandoned  as  a  church,  and  has 
been  converted  into  residences. 

In  1827,  the  congregation  worshipping  at  the  old 
First  Church,  began  a  commodious  church  edifice  on 
the  south  side  of  Franklin  street,  next  to  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  Exchange  Hotel,  between  Fourteenth 
and  Fifteenth  streets.  The  location  was  then  con- 
sidered a  good  one,  being  in  the  midst  of  a  desirable 
community  and  convenient  to  the  congregation.  The 
work  on  this  house  was  completed  in  the  year  1828. 
Its  first  pastor  was  Wm.  Hammett,  a  man  of  Irish 
ancestry,  and  one  of  the  most  eloquent  and  powerful 
ministers  of  his  day,  but  who,  in  after  years,  yielding 
to  the  promptings  of  an  unholy  ambition,  renounced 
the  ministry  of  the  gospel,  and  entered  political  life. 
From  his  adopted  State,  Mississippi,  he  was  elected 
to  Congress,  but  he  seems  to  have  been  comparatively 


36  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

unnoticed  in  that  body.  He  was  succeeded  in  his 
pastorate  of  this  church  by  Simon  Sykes,  Wm.  A. 
Smith,  G.  W.  Nolley,  Abram  Penn,  Joseph  Carson, 
David  S.  Doggett  and  Leroy  M.  Lee — all  men  of 
great  ability,  fidelity  and  success  in  the  ministry. 

Dr.  Lee's  appointment  was  made  at  the  session  of 
the  Conference  at  Lynchburg,  Va.,  February  n, 
1835.  His  work,  hopefully  begun  Sunday,  March 
2,  1835,  soon  came  to  an  untimely  end.  On  the  night 
of  the  2Oth  of  June  the  church  building  caught  fire 
and  was  entirely  destroyed.  For  several  months  there- 
after Dr.  Lee  remained  with  his  unfortunate  flock, 
serving  them  as  best  he  could,  preaching  as  he  found 
opportunity  and  striving  to  rebuild  the  house.  His 
success  was  highly  gratifying,  but  in  the  following 
November  when  the  work  of  rebuilding  was  well 
under  way,  failing  health  required' him  to  desist  from 
his  labors. 

He  left  the  city  intending  to  spend  the  winter  in 
Florida,  but  he  returned  the  following  January,  arriv- 
ing at  Norfolk  during  the  session  of  the  Conference 
in  that  city.  He  was  surprised  to  find  that  the 
"  Christian  Sentinel,"  a  Methodist  paper  which  had 
been  published  in  Richmond  since  1832,  had  been 
purchased  by  the  Conference,  and  that  he  was  to  be 
its  editor.  As  neither  the  Bishop  nor  the  Conference 
had  authority  to  make  that  appointment,  his  name 
appears  in  the  minutes  of  that  year  as  colleague  of 
the  Rev.  Wm.  A.  Smith,  D.  D.,  his  successor  at 
Trinity. 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  87 

In  connection  with  the  rebuilding  of  Trinity  there 
was  an  exhibition  on  the  part  of  the  Christian  people 
of  Richmond,  especially  the  Presbyterian  brethren, 
of  a  spirit  of  Christian  fraternity  and  liberality  which 
I  must  not  omit  to  mention.  The  late  Dr.  Plummer, 
who  at  that  time  was  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  on  Franklin  street,  located  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  Randolph  Paper  Box  Factory, 
tendered  the  use  of  his  church  to  the  Trinity  people, 
and  appealed  eloquently  and  successfully  to  his  con- 
gregation to  aid  them  by  liberal  contributions  in 
their  effort  to  rebuild  their  house  of  worship.  The 
new  building  was  dedicated  August  28,  1836,  by  the 
pastor,  Dr.  Smith,  whose  great  powers  were  then  at 
their  best.  His  powerful  and  eloquent  preaching 
drew  large  congregations  and  greatly  edified,  com- 
forted and  encouraged  his  people.  The  church  under 
his  ministry  grew  and  was  multiplied  in  all  the  ele- 
ments of  material  and  spiritual  strength. 

The  Centenary  of  the  rise  of  Methodism  in  England 
occurred  in  1839,  and  was  celebrated  throughout  the 
United  States  with  suitable  religious  exercises,  and 
collections  were  taken  for  the  benefit  of  various 
church  enterprises.  In  Richmond  appropriate  ser- 
vices were  held  in  Trinity  and  Shocco  churches,  and 
subscriptions  were  taken  amounting  to  more  than 
$11,000.  A  part  of  this  was  given  to  the  cause  of 
missions  and  to  the  Superannuated  Preachers'  Fund 
of  the  Virginia  Conference,  and  the  remainder  was 
applied  to  the  erection  of  a  new  church  on  Shocco 


38  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Hill.  This  new  church  was  Centenary.  To  this  enter- 
prise the  Shocco  congregation  contributed  $2,200, 
the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  their  building,  to  which 
reference  has  already  been  made.  Centenary — the 
successor  to  Shocco — was  dedicated  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  June,  1843,  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Wads- 
worth,  then  stationed  in  Petersburg. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  note  that  Centenary  is  now  one 
of  the  handsomest,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  com- 
modious and  prosperous  churches  in  Southern 
Methodism,  having  been  several  times  enlarged  and 
beautified.  It  has  a  chime  of  nine  bells,  presented  in 
1883  by  the  family  of  the  late  Charles  Talbott,  who 
was  a  useful  member  and  officer  in  our  church,  first 
at  Trinity  and  then  at  Centenary.  It  has  also  a  mag- 
nificent organ  and  is,  in  all  other  respects,  fully 
equipped  for  the  comfort  of  that  large,  intelligent 
and  progressive  congregation.  From  Centenary, 
directly,  and  indirectly,  have  sprung  four  other 
churches;  namely,  Laurel  Street,  taking  place  of 
Oregon  Hill;  Clay  Street,  taking  the  place  of  Clay 
Street  Chapel;  Park  Place,  taking  the  place  of  Sidney 
in  the  west  end;  and  Highland  Park  in  the  northern 
suburbs  of  the  city. 

In  November,  1857,  the  late  Rev.  James  A. 
Duncan,  D.  D.,  was  assigned  to  Trinity.  The 
changes  in  that  part  of  the  city  since  the  rebuilding 
of  the  church,  and  the  general  environment,  made 
the  location  most  unfortunate,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  church  for  several  years  had  seriously  de- 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  39 

clined.    This  mother  church  of  Richmond  Methodism 
deeply  realized  the  fact  that  the  tide  of  population 
was  rapidly  flowing  to  more  attractive  sections  of 
the  city,  and  that  a  change  of  location  was  necessary 
to  her  future  usefulness.     Indeed,  a  crisis  had  been 
reached    in    its    history    and    existing    conditions 
seemed  to  preclude  the  possibility  of  success,  even 
with  such  a  pastor  in  charge  as  the  gifted,  honored 
and  beloved  Dr.  Duncan.     But  rising  above  all  dis- 
couragements, the  young  pastor  soon  had  this  old 
and  unsightly  building  crowded  with  eager  and  de- 
lighted congregations.     His  thrilling  appeals  filled 
the  city  with  his  fame,  and  before  the  close  of  the 
first  year  of  his  pastorate  it  was  proposed  that  old 
Trinity  should  be  divided,  and  that  two  new  churches, 
larger  and  more  attractive,  should  be  built  on  Broad 
street,  the  main  boulevard  of  the  city.    Dr.  Duncan 
was  the  leader  and  the  life  of  this  great  movement, 
and  our  beautiful  Broad  Street  Church,  standing  on 
the  corner  of  Tenth  and  Broad  streets  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  State  Capitol,  the  Governor's 
Mansion  and  the  City  Hall,  was  built  the  following 
year.    This  splendid  and  spacious  structure  is  a  monu- 
ment to  the  genius  of  James  A.  Duncan,  its  founder 
and  first  pastor,  and  to  the  liberality  of  his  devoted 
and  lifelong  friends,  W.  K.  Watts,  Samuel  Putney, 
W.  W.  Parker,  James  and  William  Allison,  Stephen 
Putney  and  others. 

The  pulpit  of  this  beautiful  house  of  God,  to  which 
he  was  twice  assigned,  first  in  1857  and  again  in  1863, 


40  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

was  the  chief  throne  of  Dr.  Duncan's  wonderful  power 
as  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  during  the  eventful  years 
of  his  pastorate.  Thousands  flocked  to  hear  him. 
His  influence  widened  and  deepened  to  the  close  of 
his  pastoral  term,  and  no  man  in  our  day  accom- 
plished more  than  he  did  for  Methodism  and  for  the 
cause  of  Christ. 

The  fact  that  at  this  time  Richmond  was  the 
capital  of  the  Confederate  States  and  the  headquarters 
of  the  Confederate  army,  gave  it  great  prominence, 
made  it  the  favorite  city  of  our  South-land,  and  filled 
it  with  the  flower  of  Southern  society,  talent  and 
wealth.  In  these  eventful  years  Dr.  Duncan's  preach- 
ing reached  the  highest  pitch  of  his  transcendent 
power  and  was  heard  by  multitudes  that  no  man 
can  number.  Jefferson  Davis,  the  honored  President 
of  the  Confederacy,  though  an  Episcopalian,  was  a 
frequent  visitor  at  his  church,  as  was  also  Gen.  R.  E. 
Lee,  and  other  notable  men  of  the  time,  both  in  civic 
and  military  life.  And  when  the  gallant  leader  of  the 
Lost  Cause  saw  that  he  could  no  longer  defend 
Richmond  against  the  overwhelming  hosts  of  the 
advancing  foe,  Dr.  Duncan  was  invited  to  a  seat  in 
the  car  which  took  Mr.  Davis,  his  family  and  official 
staff  from  the  city. 

After  the  surrender  of  the  Southern  army,  Dr. 
Duncan  quickly  returned  to  his  pulpit  and  to  his 
people;  and  amid  the  ashes  and  ruins  of  the  fallen 
capital  his  church  was  again  filled  with  overflowing 
congregations.  His  eloquent  tongue  comforted, 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  41 

edified  and  deeply  impressed  those  who  waited  upon 
his  faithful,  spiritual  and  eloquent  ministry.  From 
the  autumn  of  1860  to  1866  he  was  editor-in-chief  of 
the  "  Richmond  Christian  Advocate."  When  Rich- 
mond fell  his  paper  was  temporarily  suspended,  and 
a  new  paper,  the  "  Episcopal  Methodist,"  took  pos- 
session of  the  field;  but  on  returning  to  the  city  he 
immediately  resumed  its  publication.  The  readiness 
and  versatility  of  his  talents  were  admirably  displayed 
in  his  editorial  office,  and  he  developed  a  wonderful 
genius  for  work  of  every  kind.  For,  while  taxed  and 
burdened  with  ministerial  and  pastoral  duties,  he 
wrote  not  only  the  editorials,  but  much  of  the  most 
popular  and  enjoyable  correspondence  that  enriched 
the  columns  of  the  "  Advocate  "  during  these  years. 
A  marble  tablet  in  Broad  Street  Church  perpetuates 
his  immortal  name,  and  his  sacred  dust  sleeps  in 
Hollywood  Cemetery,  his  resting  place  being  marked 
by  a  massive  shaft  of  Virginia  granite,  erected  by 
his  many  friends  and  admirers. 

Dr.  Duncan  was  succeeded  at  Trinity  by  the  Rev. 
J.  D.  Blackwell,  D.  D.,  who  remained  but  one  year, 
and  was  followed  by  Alexander  G.  Brown,  D.  D., 
in  November,  1859.  Soon  thereafter  the  old  church 
building  on  Franklin  street  was  sold,  and  the  building 
of  "  New  Trinity  "  on  the  corner  of  Twentieth  and 
Broad  streets  was  rapidly  pushed  by  the  zeal  and 
liberality  of  such  noble  men  as  Cornelius  Crew,  Chas. 
Talbott,  Wm.  Willis,  Sr.,  and  his  brother  Joseph, 
Thomas  Pemberton,  J.  W.  Fergusson  and  others. 


49  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

The  spacious  and  beautiful  lecture  room,  superior 
to  any  in  the  city  at  that  time,  was  dedicated  February 
3,  1860,  by  Dr.  David  S.  Doggett,  presiding  elder. 
Dr.  Wm.  A.  Smith,  President  of  Randolph  Macon 
College,  preached  at  night,  and  the  pastor,  Dr.  A. 
G.  Brown,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day.  The 
main  auditorium  was  not  completed  until  November, 
1866,  when  the  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by 
Dr.  R.  N.  Sledd,  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards,  the  pastor, 
preaching  at  night.  This  building  was  erected  at  a 
cost  of  $35,000,  and  is  in  many  respects  a  gem  of 
architectural  beauty  and  comfort.  Thus  it  appears 
that  the  congregation  which  found  themselves  unable 
to  maintain  their  position  at  Old  Trinity  with  credit 
and  success,  after  dividing,  demonstrated  their  perfect 
ability  to  build,  maintain  and  push  forward  with 
great  success  two  of  the  largest,  most  costly  and 
attractive  church  edifices  in  the  city.  This  they  did  in 
the  troublous  times  of  the  unhappy  war  between  the 
States.  From  this  fact  we  may  derive  lessons  of 
great  practical  value,  on  which  I  have  not  time  now 
to  dwell. 

There  is  an  incident,  however,  connected  with  the 
removal  of  the  congregation  from  "  Old  Trinity  "  to 
"  New  Trinity,"  which  must  not  be  omitted.  The 
last  service  held  in  the  old  building  on  Franklin  street 
was  a  love-feast,  to  which  all  the  Methodists  in  the 
city  were  invited,  in  order  that  before  turning  over 
the  property  to  the  purchasers,  the  brethren,  many 
of  whom  had  been  converted  at  the  altar  now  to  be 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  43 

abandoned,  might  attest  their  love  one  for  another, 
and  by  unity  of  spirit  in  the  bond  of  peace  give  a 
practical  demonstration  of  the  blessedness,  the  power 
and  the  divine  origin  of  our  holy  religion.  The 
pastor,  Dr.  Brown,  was  present  and  presided  on  this 
interesting  occasion.  The  house  was  filled  to  its  ut- 
most capacity.  The  brethren  told  with  great  tender- 
ness and  unction  what  the  Lord  had  done  for  their 
souls.  The  hearts  of  the  congregation  were  thrilled 
by  their  testimonies.  There  was  scarcely  an  eye  in 
the  house  that  was  not  suffused  with  tears.  Truly,  it 
was  good  to  be  there.  God  was  with  us  and  made 
the  occasion  memorable  by  his  presence.  In  this 
congregation  there  appeared  a  stranger  who  sat  un- 
observed near  the  door.  Before  the  meeting  was 
closed  the  late  Wm.  Willis,  Sr.,  than  whom  Richmond 
Methodism  has  not  produced  a  purer,  nobler  type  of 
Christian  character,  arose  and  addressed  the  meeting, 
and  said  that  while  he  had  greatly  enjoyed  the  occa- 
sion there  was  a  thought  in  his  mind  which  had 
filled  him  with  unutterable  sadness.  It  was  that  the 
man  of  God  who  was  the  first  pastor  of  that  church, 
and  who  was  largely  instrumental  in  establishing  it — 
the  Rev.  Wm.  Hammett — so  eminent  at  that  time  in 
the  ministry,  and  so  much  beloved  in  Richmond, 
had  since  fallen  away  from  Christ,  abandoned  the 
ministry,  and  entered  the  arena  of  partisan  politics, 
and  was  then  a  very  worldly  and  wicked  man.  With 
tears  streaming  from  his  eyes,  he  proposed  that  be- 
fore departing  from  the  church  the  congregation 


44  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

should  join  in  prayer  to  God  for  this  fallen  man.  The 
proposition  was  responded  to  promptly  and  with 
deep  feeling.  The  congregation  bowed  in  prayer, 
led  by  Brother  Willis.  He  was  a  man  especially  gifted 
in  prayer,  and  no  words  can  give  an  idea  of  the  power 
with  which  he  prayed  on  this  occasion.  He  seemed 
to  be  talking  face  to  face  with  God,  and  with  an 
earnestness  and  felicity  of  expression  never  surpassed 
he  pleaded  for  the  fallen  man  and  former  pastor.  A 
few  months  afterwards,  it  came  to  our  knowledge, 
through  one  of  the  church  papers,  that  the  un- 
observed stranger  was  the  Hon.  Wm.  Hammett. 
Returning  to  his  home  in  Mississippi  from  Washing- 
ton, he  was  stopping  for  the  night  at  the  Exchange 
Hotel,  next  door  to  Trinity  Church,  and  observing 
that  the  house  was  open  and  service  was  being  con- 
ducted there,  he  entered  the  auditorium  and  heard 
all  that  passed.  The  words  of  Wm.  Willis  and  the 
prayer  that  followed  pierced  his  heart.  He  strove  to 
extract  the  arrow,  but  was  unable  to  do  so.  He 
continued  his  journey  to  his  home  in  Mississippi 
where  under  the  power  of  his  convictions  he  sent  for 
a  Methodist  minister  to  whom  he  opened  his  heart, 
told  the  sad  story  of  his  fall,  and  expressed  a  desire 
to  return  to  Christ  and  to  the  church.  The  door  of 
the  Kingdom,  always  open  to  penitent  sinners,  was 
not  closed  against  him.  He  was  restored  to  member- 
ship in  the  church  and  soon  thereafter  died  in  the 
faith  of  Him  who  is  able  to  save  unto  the  uttermost. 
I  have  spoken  of  Trinity  as  the  mother  church  of 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  45 

Richmond  Methodism,  a  title  of  honor  of  which  she 
is  eminently  worthy;  for  she  was  the  direct  successor 
of  the  old  "  First  Church  "  on  the  corner  of  Nine- 
teenth and  Franklin,  and  was  instrumental,  directly 
or  indirectly,  in  all  the  movements  for  the  extension 
of  Methodism  in  Richmond.  Among  her  most  pros- 
perous daughters  is  Union  Station,  of  which  I  will 
now  speak. 

Early  in  the  forties  it  was  deemed  desirable  by  the 
Methodists  living  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  city  to 
provide  a  more  convenient  place  of  worship,  Trinity 
being  entirely  too  remote  to  accommodate  the  people 
of  that  rapidly  growing  section.  Among  those  who 
took  the  initiative  were  Joseph  R.  Keiningham,  Abner 
W.  Richardson,  John  Nettles,  Wm.  McAlister,  Wm. 
Catlin,  Isaac  Austin,  H.  A.  Atkinson,  and  others. 
They  began  by  holding  prayer  meetings  and  a  Sunday 
School  in  a  small  building  located  on  Venable  street, 
between  Twenty-fourth  and  Twenty-fifth  streets. 
The  undertaking  proved  successful,  and  in  1843  tne 
Rev.  Leonidas  Rosser,  D.  D.,  was  assigned  by  Epis- 
copal appointment  to  the  charge  of  this  new  enter- 
prise. He  quickly  effected  an  organization  with  one 
hundred  members  from  Trinity,  nineteen  from  Man- 
chester and  two  from  Centenary,  reaching  a  member- 
ship to  start  with  of  121. 

Of  the  one  hundred  from  Trinity  not  one  remains 
among  us,  all  having  been  transferred  to  the  church 
above.  The  last  one,  Henry  Atkinson,  was  removed 
only  a  few  days  ago. 


46  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Dr.  Rosser  prosecuted  the  work  with  great  vigor 
and  success,  and  during  the  year  provided  for  the 
erection  of  a  more  commodious  house — a  plain  but 
comfortable  wooden  structure  on  the  west  side  of 
Twenty-fifth  street,  between  Nelson  and  Otis  streets. 
It  is  still  in  existence,  and  is  occupied  by  a  colored 
congregation  of  the  M.  E.  Church.  This  church 
appears  in  the  minutes  of  1843,  under  the  name  of 
Union,  and  from  that  time  until  1852  first  as  Union 
and  then  as  Asbury.  The  new  house  was  dedicated 
by  Dr.  Rosser,  June  16,  1844.  During  Dr.  Rosser's 
first  pastorate,  which  ended  in  November  of  that 
year,  there  was  an  extensive  revival  of  religion  in 
his  charge,  resulting  in  an  addition  to  his  church  of 
more  than  one  hundred  members.  The  same  year, 
1844,  through  the  enterprise  and  liberality  of  the 
Rev.  B.  R.  Duvall,  a  house  of  worship,  known  as 
Wesley  Chapel,  was  built  on  Seventeenth  street  north 
of  Union;  but  though  it  was  served  by  faithful 
ministers  it  maintained  only  a  feeble  existence,  and 
in  1860  it  ceased  to  be  used  as  a  house  of  worship, 
and  was  sold  for  residential  purposes. 

In  1854,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  F.  J.  Boggs, 
the  congregation  on  Union  Hill  grew  too  large  for 
the  house.  Plans  were  made  for  a  handsome  brick 
building  which  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Twenty- 
fourth  and  Nelson  streets,  and  named  Union  Station. 
This  enterprise  was  begun  amid  the  anxious  fore- 
bodings of  some  who  feared  that  the  members  were 
incurring  a  debt  beyond  their  ability  to  pay.  Their 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  47 

fears  proved  groundless,  but  the  debt  had  scarcely 
been  paid  before — to  quote  from  the  historian  of 
Union  station,  Mr.  Hazelwood — "  the  City  Engineer 
cut  down  the  street  and  involved  the  church  in 
another  burdensome  debt.  This  was  also  paid  in  due 
time.  Later  a  lot  adjoining  the  church  was  pur- 
chased and  a  handsome  parsonage  erected  thereon. 
The  filling  in  of  the  great  ravine  which  separated 
Church  and  Union  hills,  and  the  introduction  of 
electric  railways,  which  have  brought  this  church  in 
easy  communication  with  the  most  distant  points  of 
the  city,  and  the  rapid  increase  of  population,  oc- 
casioned such  a  demand  for  houses  that  there  is  left 
scarcely  a  vacant  lot  where  in  the  memory  of  the  few 
survivors  of  Old  Union  the  eye  was  greeted  with 
barren  fields  and  unsightly  gullies."  Be  it  said  to 
the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  honor  of  the  noble  people 
of  Union  Station  that  this  church  has  kept  pace  with 
the  material  prosperity  of  this  part  of  the  city. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  even  this  large  build- 
ing could  not  accommodate  the  growing  congrega- 
tion, and  to  meet  the  increasing  demand  it  was 
resolved  to  build  another  house  of  worship  of  greater 
capacity  and  of  modern  architecture.  On  the  I3th 
of  April,  1893,  the  walls  which  had  stood  for  thirty- 
nine  years  were  leveled  to  the  ground,  and  nothing 
was  left  of  the  old  building  around  which  clustered 
so  many  hallowed  associations. 

On  the  nth  of  July,  1893,  the  corner-stone  of  the 
new  church  was  laid  with  impressive  ceremonies  by 


48  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

the  masonic  fraternity.  The  orator  of  the  occasion 
was  Rev.  W.  V.  Tudor,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  Broad 
Street  Church.  This  church  was  projected  and  com- 
pleted under  the  intelligent  and  efficient  leadership 
of  the  pastor,  Rev.  George  H.  Ray,  D.  D.,  whose 
efforts  were  ably  seconded  and  assisted  by  Charles 
H.  Hasker,  V.  Heckler,  Jr.,  C.  E.  Brauer,  Richard 
C.  Bristol,  C.  W.  Enos,  Frank  C.  Bates,  and  J.  H.  C. 
Walker.  It  is  one  of  the  handsomest  church  build- 
ings in  the  city,  being  Gothic  in  style,  with  brown- 
stone  and  terra-cotta  trimmings,  and  covered  with 
blue  slate,  with  copper  ridges  and  copper  cornices. 
The  interior  is  a  marvel  of  architectural  skill  and 
beauty.  The  windows  (one  of  which  is  a  memorial 
of  the  first  pastor,  Dr.  Rosser,)  are  stained  glass  and 
exceedingly  beautiful,  both  in  design  and  in  execu- 
tion. It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  fifteen  hundred. 

In  less  than  a  year  after  the  laying  of  the  corner- 
stone the  new  church  was  dedicated,  and  though  a 
considerable  debt  remains,  the  interest  thereon  has 
always  been  promptly  paid,  and  the  principal  is  being 
greatly  reduced  year  by  year — a  grand  achievement, 
I  must  add,  in  view  of  the  financial  depression 
through  which  the  brethren  have  labored.  With  a 
membership  of  more  than  a  thousand  men  and  wo- 
men of  zeal  and  liberality,  it  is  a  question  of  only  a 
short  time  when  this  magnificent  property  will  be 
free  from  financial  embarrassment.  Hasker  Me- 
morial (named  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  the  late 
Charles  H.  Hasker)  is  an  offshoot  from  this  parent 


CHARLES  W.   HARDWICKE, 
Chairrriar;  Centennial  Corrirnittee. 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  49 

stock,  and  prospers  under  the  ministry  of  its  promis- 
ing young  pastor,  Rev.  L.  C.  Shearer. 

Fairmount  Avenue  is  also  an  offshoot  from  Union, 
and  is  quite  a  handsome  building  well  located  on  the 
corner  of  Twentieth  street  and  the  avenue  whose 
name  it  bears.  It  was  dedicated  to  the  worship  of 
God,  January  29,  1895,  by  Bishop  A.  W.  Wilson. 
This  enterprise,  begun  under  the  ministry  of  Rev. 
L.  J.  Phaup,  was  brought  to  completion  under  the 
ministry  of  Rev.  H.  E.  Johnson,  D.  D.,  and  is  now 
prospering  under  its  talented  young  pastor,  Rev. 
George  E.  Booker,  Jr.  A  neat  and  comfortable 
parsonage  has  also  been  built.  They  have  a  flourish- 
ing Sunday  School,  a  prosperous  Epworth  League, 
and  are  well  equipped  in  every  department  of  church 
enterprise.  This  church  meets  the  religious  wants 
of  Methodism  in  a  growing  and  rapidly  improving 
section  of  our  city. 

To  the  Layman's  Union,  which  was  organized 
some  years  ago  (but  which  I  regret  to  say  has  been 
recently  abandoned),  Richmond  Methodism  is  in- 
debted for  a  work  that  deserves  high  commendation, 
and  merits  honorable  record  in  this  historical  narra- 
tive. It  was  chiefly  through  the  instrumentality  of 
this  organization  that  our  handsome  brick  church 
(St.  James)  on  the  corner  of  Twenty-ninth  and 
Marshall  streets  was  built  in  1891. 

This  church  was  largely  an  offshoot  from  Trinity, 
and  its  membership  is  composed  chiefly  of  our 
younger  brethren  who,  under  the  burden  of  an  em- 
4 


50  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

barrassing  debt  have  labored  faithfully  not  only  to 
meet  the  financial  obligations  of  the  church,  but  to 
win  souls  to  Christ  and  to  advance  the  work  to  which 
they  are  committed.  They  have  shown  great  zeal 
and  liberality  and  have  met  with  gratifying  success. 
Their  pastor,  the  Rev.  William  B.  Beauchamp,  is  in 
high  favor  with  his  people,  and  with  the  community, 
and  is  by  every  token  a  workman  that  needeth  not 
to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth  to 
a  growing  and  most  interesting  congregation.  The 
time  is  not  far  distant  when  this  will  be  one  of  the 
most  useful  churches  in  Richmond  Methodism. 

The  Layman's  Union  also  established  a  church  on 
the  corner  of  Washington  and  Gary  streets,  which 
was  afterwards  removed  to  a  more  eligible  locality, 
and  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  Asbury.  This 
church  has  before  it  one  of  the  widest  and  most 
attractive  fields  of  work  in  the  West  End.  The 
pastor,  Rev.  B.  M.  Beckham,  whose  hands  are  upheld 
by  an  appreciative  band  of  brethren,  is  going  forward 
with  this  worthy  enterprise. 

Denny  Street,  in  Fulton,  which  grew  out  of  a 
mission  enterprise  in  Rocketts,  has  made  rapid  strides 
in  recent  years,  her  membership  having  more  than 
doubled.  Congregations  are  large  and  growing,  and 
the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  T.  Routten,  has  won  not  only  the 
hearts  of  his  own  people  but  holds  a  high  place  in  the 
confidence  and  affections  of  this  prosperous  and  im- 
proving section  of  our  city. 

The  church  at  Barton  Heights  is  doing  a  great 


TEE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  51 

work  for  Methodism  in  that  new  and  attractive  com- 
munity, and  the  pastor,  Rev.  J.  Sidney  Peters,  though 
for  a  long  time  embarrassed  in  his  work  by  serious 
illness  is  laboring  with  great  efficiency,  and  the  work 
of  God  is  prospering  under  his  ministry. 

Epworth,  the  youngest  of  our  church  enterprises 
in  Richmond,  is  an  offshoot  from  Laurel  Street 
Church,  and  was  built  under  the  leadership  of  the 
Rev.  Travis  J.  Taylor.  It  is  a  valuable  addition  to 
the  working  force  of  Methodism  in  the  southwestern 
section  of  the  city. 

Our  history  began  when  the  Methodists  had  no 
church,  but  worshipped  in  the  courthouse  or  in  the 
open  air.  We  have  seen  them  provided  by  a  godly 
woman  with  a  place  of  meeting  in  the  "  Stable 
Church,"  where  they  worshipped  until  it  could  no 
longer  accommodate  the  congregation.  We  have 
beheld  the  rise  of  the  first  church  on  the  corner  of 
Nineteenth  and  Franklin  streets,  built  under  great 
difficulties  and  under  serious  embarrassments.  We 
have  followed  this  church  in  its  removal  to  what  was 
then  a  more  promising  locality,  on  Franklin  street 
near  the  Exchange  Hotel.  We  have  seen  this 
mother-church  send  out  colonies  to  all  parts  of  the 
city,  and  the  work  of  colonization  taken  up  by  the 
churches  thus  established  until  now  every  portion 
of  the  city  and  every  suburb  is  provided  with  Metho- 
dist churches — not  temporary  chapels,  but  substan- 
tial and  beautiful  houses  of  worship.  Beginning  with 
one  church,  we  now  have  fifteen;  beginning  with 


RICHMOND  METHODISM. 


twenty-eight  members  we  now  have  six  thousand. 
The  following  table  shows  by  decades  the  increase 
in  membership  made  by  our  church  as  compared  with 
the  progress  made  in  the  city's  development: 


YEAR. 

Percentage  of 
Increase  in 
Church 
Membership. 

Percentage  of 
Increase  in 
Population. 

1820  

^Q.^I 

22.  S4 

i8y>.  . 

QO.54 

^.OQ 

1840    . 

40.  52 

2S-48 

1850  

84.64 

36.78 

1860  

20.7"; 

^.Ql 

1870  

2Q.Q1 

•U.6* 

1880  

5^.70 

26.  si 

1890.  . 

SS-44 

24.84 

1898.. 

46.00 

27.  SO 

Average  

S2.2O 

2Q.47S 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  last  figures  indicate 
the  increase  for  eight  years  only.  This  table  shows 
that  whereas  the  increase  of  population  in  the  city 
averaged  less  than  thirty  per  cent,  for  each  decade, 
the  increase  in  church  membership  averaged  more 
than  fifty-two  per  cent.  The  net  gain  in  church 
membership  since  1870  is  more  than  two  hundred 
per  cent.,  while  for  the  preceding  twenty  years  it  was 
only  sixty  per  cent. 

There  is  an  impression  in  some  quarters  that 
Methodism  in  Richmond,  so  far  from  advancing, 
is  barely  holding  its  own.  Let  those  who  entertain 
this  opinion  examine  the  following  table  and  perhaps 


TEE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 


they  will  come  to  a  different  conclusion.  While  the 
showing  is  not  all  we  could  desire,  nor  perhaps  as 
good  as  it  might  have  been,  still  it  must  be  con- 
sidered highly  encouraging  for  the  future  of  our 
church  in  this  city. 


1880. 

1890. 

1898. 

Church  edifices  

8 

10 

14 

Parsonages  

i 

2 

7 

Pastors  

9 

II 

14 

Church  members  

2,742 

4,263 

6,224 

In  Sunday  schools  

1,965 

3,368 

4,579 

Salaries  of  pastors  

4  0,648 

$   I4,7l8 

$  21,282 

For  missions,  all  sources  

I.OTO 

3,  ^77 

3,636 

Raised  for  all  purposes  

27,454 

43,379 

69,387 

Value  of  church  property  

178,500 

292,200 

352,200 

We  are  happy  to  know  that  other  evangelical  de- 
nominations in  the  city,  with  all  of  whom  the  Metho- 
dists have  maintained  the  most  fraternal  relations, 
have  shown  a  like  zeal  in  the  work  of  city  evangeli- 
zation. It  may  now  be  truly  said  that  Richmond, 
where  for  so  long  a  time  there  was  but  one  church, 
is  now  a  city  of  churches,  with  ample  seating  capacity 
to  accommodate  on  any  Lord's  day  the  entire  church- 
going  population,  both  white  and  colored. 

As  we  greet  the  coming  century,  we  exclaim 
"Behold  what  hath  God  wrought!"  What  shall 
the  future  be?  The  future  alone  can  answer;  but 
let  us  all  thank  God  and  take  courage.  We  have  no 
ground  for  boasting;  but  we  have  strong  reason  for 


54  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

gratitude  for  the  past  and  for  renewed  consecration 
for  the  future.  We  have  come  into  this  great  in- 
heritance through  the  prayers,  the  zeal  and  the  labors 
of  our  fathers,  and  we  ought  to  hand  it  down  to  our 
children  unimpaired  in  its  vigor.  God  in  his  provi- 
dence is  opening  new  fields  for  the  American  church 
not  only  in  our  own  land,  but  in  other  lands  also; 
and  not  only  in  evangelistic  work  but  in  education 
and  in  literature.  We  ought  to  follow  our  founder, 
John  Wesley,  who  subsidized  the  press  and  the 
school,  and  made  all  these  agencies  tributary  to  the 
gospel.  Let  our  "  Twentieth  Century  "  movement 
show  by  its  fruits  what  Southern  Methodism  can  do. 
And  above  all  let  the  world  take  knowledge  of  us 
that  we  have  been  with  Christ,  and  exclaim,  "  Behold, 
how  these  Christians  lo\ne  one  another."  Let  Rich- 
mond Methodism  set  an  example  for  the  Virginia 
Conference;  and  let  the  Virginia  Conference,  the 
oldest  in  the  sisterhood  of  conferences,  by  unity  and 
brotherly  love,  and  by  a  holy  zeal,  set  an  example 
for  Southern  Methodism. 

Brethren,  the  Old  Ship  of  Zion  flies  at  its  mast- 
head the  battle-signal,  "  Our  Captain  expects  every 
man  to  do  his  duty." 


II. 

CENTENARY  AND  HER  COLONIES. 

BY    THE    REV.    WILLIAM    W.    LEAR. 

The  celebration,  in  1839,  of  the  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  Wesleyan  movement  gave  a  distinct 
impetus  to  Methodism,  both  in  England  and  America. 
Our  English  brethren  in  token  of  their  gratitude  to 
God  for  his  goodness  to  them  made  during  the  year 
an  offering  of  a  million  dollars,  while  our  own  thank- 
offerings  amounted  to  six  hundred  thousand.  The 
latter  was  a  large  sum  for  our  people,  whose  incomes 
were  even  more  modest  than  their  numbers;  but  their 
wonderful  history,  which  they  had  for  the  first  time 
paused  to  recall,  and  the  assurance  which  it  gave  them 
of  the  presence  of  God  in  their  work,  put  them 
on  their  mettle  and  quickened  their  spirits  for  the 
highest  endeavor.  Our  missionary  contributions 
doubled  in  one  year.  New  fields  were  occupied, 
new  schools  projected,  new  churches  begun  and  new 
energy  injected  into  enterprises  already  on  hand. 

There  were  in  Richmond  at  this  time  two  life 
centres  of  Methodism — Old  Trinity  and  Shocco. 
Centennial  rallies  were  held  in  both  of  these  churches 
during  the  year.  At  the  Trinity  meeting  the  sub- 
scription for  the  thank-offering  was  started.  Dr. 

[55] 


56  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Leroy  M.  Lee,  who  was  then  editor  of  our  church 
paper,  gave  out  of  his  scanty  salary  one  hundred 
dollars.  Others  followed  with  larger  or  smaller 
amounts,  till  the  sum  of  eleven  thousand  dollars  had 
been  raised.  About  one-half  of  this  amount  was  set 
aside  to  be  used  in  the  building  of  a  new  house  of 
worship  to  take  the  place  of  Shocco.  This  new 
church,  which,  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  its  ori- 
gin, was  to  bear  the  name  of  Centenary,  was  not  built 
without  serious  difficulties.  The  reputation  which 
the  early  Methodists  had  made  for  loud  singing  and 
shouting  still  clung  to  the  denomination,  and  when 
a  suitable  lot  was  sought  in  a  popular  locality  the  real 
estate  dealers  hesitated  to  sell  for  fear  the  presence  of 
the  church  would  lower  the  value  of  realty  in  the 
neighborhood.  For  two  years  those  who  had  the 
matter  in  hand  tried  in  vain  to  secure  a  lot  and 
finally  succeeded  only  by  getting  a  disinterested  party 
to  buy  for  them.  When  it  was  learned  that  the 
purchaser  represented  Richard  Whitfield,  the  leading 
layman  of  Shocco  Church,  the  property  owners  in 
the  neighborhood  quickly  took  in  the  situation  and 
sent  Mr.  Whitfield  a  proposition  to  take  the  lot  off 
his  hands  at  a  large  advance  on  the  price  he  had  paid 
for  it.  But  the  brethren  refused  to  sell.  Though 
the  doctrine  of  falling  from  grace  is  in  their  creed, 
Methodists  usually  know  a  good  thing  when  they 
get  it,  and  generally  hold  on  to  it — when  they  have 
it  sure  enough. 

The  Rev.  James  A.  Riddick  was  pastor  of  Shocco 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  57 

Church  at  this  time  and  took  an  active  part  in  secur- 
ing the  lot  and  developing  the  plans  for  the  new 
building.  The  record  of  the  ministry  of  this  man  of 
God  is  in  the  annals  of  the  church.  It  is  not  for  me 
to  tell  here  the  story  of  his  life.  I  saw  him  but  a 
few  days  ago.  It  is  a  benediction  to  be  in  his  pres- 
ence. He  dwells  near  the  mountain  top  of  religious 
experience  and  the  glow  and  quiet  of  a  summer 
sunset  linger  around  him.  Under  the  weight  of  four- 
score years  and  more  the  tabernacle  of  clay  is  crum- 
bling to  dust,  but  his  mental  strength  yet  abides  and 
his  faith  strengthens  to  the  end.  And  with  a  delight- 
ful consciousness  of  the  divine  presence,  he  looks 
ahead  to  the  crowning  time  with  a  smile  of  eager 
expectation. 

Brother  Riddick  was  succeeded  at  Shocco  Church 
by  the  Rev.  George  W.  Nolley,  a  man  of  splendid 
proportions,  physical,  mental  and  spiritual.  He  was 
a  kinsman  of  Richmond  Nolley  and  was  cast  in  the 
same  heroic  mould.  He  dared  do  anything  that  the 
Master  bade  him  do,  or  to  suffer  anything  that  duty 
called  him  to  suffer;  yet  he  was  genial  and  guileless, 
and  as  gentle  as  a  little  child.  He  was  converted  at 
sixteen  years  of  age.  He  had  the  unique  experience 
of  feeling,  long  .before  his  conversion,  that  he  was 
called  to  preach,  and  perhaps  the  no  less  unique 
experience  of  being  licensed  to  preach  without  his 
knowledge  or  consent.  For  fifty-five  consecutive 
years  he  answered  to  his  name  on  the  first  day  of 
the  Annual  Conference,  and  then,  full  of  faith  and 


68  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

good  works,  he  answered  to  the  general  roll-call  of 
the  saints  in  glory. 

Brother  Nolley  was  just  such  a  man  as  the  Shocco 
people  needed  at  that  time  to  push  their  new  enter- 
prise to  completion,  and  it  goes  without  say- 
ing that  he  did  not  sit  idly  by  while  others  toiled. 
He  was  not,  however,  too  busy  building  a  new  house 
for  his  flock  to  look  after  their  spiritual  life,  and  his 
ministry  this  year  (1842)  was  attended  by  a  sweeping 
revival,  in  which  between  one  and  two  hundred  souls 
were  converted  and  brought  into  the  church.  From 
among  the  young  ladies  who  were  converted  during 
this  revival  he  selected  his  second  wife,  who  bore 
him  seven  sons  and  daughters,  six  of  whom  are  still 
living.  Two  of  his  daughters  married  Methodist 
preachers. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  time  for  holding  the 
Annual  Conference  was  changed  in  1842  from  Feb- 
ruary to  November,  there  were  two  sessions  of  Con- 
ference that  year,  and  Brother  Nolley's  pastorate 
was  in  consequence  limited  to  nine  months.  But 
during  that  period  the  work  on  the  new  church  was 
pushed  so  rapidly  that  it  was  ready  for  occupancy 
before  he  left  the  charge,  though  it  was  not  com- 
•pleted  and  dedicated  until  the  spring  of  the  following 
year. 

It  does  not  fall  within  the  purpose  of  this  paper 
to  review  the  later  history  of  Centenary  Church. 
Its  success  from  the  start  and  its  continued  prosperity 
after  nearly  sixty  years  justify  the  wisdom  of  its 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  59 

founders  and  speak  volumes  for  the  piety  of  those 
who  came  after  them.  Since  the  church  was  first 
erected,  it  has  been  so  greatly  enlarged  and  improved 
that  it  is  impossible  to  recognize  in  the  present 
building  the  modest  structure  of  former  days. 

The  noble  laymen  who  were  active  in  the  establish- 
ment of  Centenary  are  deserving  of  more  honor- 
able mention  than  I  can  give  them  here.  The  original 
trustees  were  Richard  Whitfield,  William  Evans, 
Thos.  H.  Lambeth  (the  father  of  Dr.  S.  S.  Lambeth 
of  our  Conference),  William  Willis,  John  J.  Binford 
and  Henry  Tatum.  Richard  Whitfield,  who  seems  to 
have  been  the  prime  mover  in  the  enterprise,  was 
born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  in  1777.  He  was  left 
an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  and  was  thrown  entirely 
upon  his  own  resources.  When  about  twenty-four 
years  old  he  embarked  for  America,  landing  in  New 
York  in  1801.  While  in  New  York  he  was  converted 
and  at  once  joined  the  Methodist  Church.  In  1807 
he  came  to  Richmond.  His  piety  was  of  a  generous 
and  liberal  character.  His  faith  never  wavered.  As 
a  business  man  he  was  sagacious,  energetic  and  suc- 
cessful. His  liberality  abounded  for  every  good 
work.  Honored  by  the  church  with  every  lay  office 
within  its  power  he  was  efficient  and  useful  in  them 
all.  With  the  increase  of  years  he  increased  in  heav- 
enly virtues,  until  in  1866,  at  the  ripe  age  of  nearly 
ninety  years,  he  went  home  to  glory.  In  Centenary 
Church,  which  he  had  helped  to  build  and  where  he 
had  worshipped  so  long,  Bishop  Doggett  preached 


60  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

his  funeral  sermon  and  the  sacred  dust  was  laid 
away  in  Shocco  Hill  Cemetery  to  await  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  just.  His  descendants  to  the  third  gen- 
eration are  among  us.  May  the  mantle  of  this  man 
of  God  ever  rest  upon  them ! 

A  brief  mention  of  the  churches  that  may  be  said 
to  have  grown  out  of  Centenary  will  serve  as  a  fitting 
close  to  this  paper. 

On  a  rainy  Sunday  afternoon  in  October,  1849,  a 
few  earnest  workers  from  Centenary  got  together  in 
a  private  house  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  city 
not  far  from  the  State  Penitentiary,  and  organized 
a  Sunday  School  with  Watkins  Taylor  as  superin- 
tendent. A  few  weeks  afterwards  a  society  was 
organized,  and  a  house  of  worship  (known  as  Oregon 
Chapel)  was  erected  on  the  corner  of  Church  street 
and  Maiden  Lane.  The  first  pastor  of  the  new 
church  was  the  Rev.  James  E.  Joyner,  the  second, 
the  Rev.  John  L.  Clark  and  the  third,  the  Rev. 
Samuel  L.  Eskridge. 

For  a  number  of  years  Oregon  was  a  small  and 
struggling  church,  but  under  the  ministry  of  the 
Rev.  H.  B.  Cowles  matters  mightily  improved.  Then 
came  the  Rev.  William  P.  Wright,  who  remained 
four  years,  and  labored  with  untiring  energy  to  build 
a  new  church.  Before  he  left  he  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  the  old  structure  in  which  this  little  band 
had  so  long  worshipped,  sold  and  the  proceeds  put 
into  a  larger  enterprise  on  Laurel  street.  After  a 
year  Brother  Wright  was  returned  and  the  building 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  61 

was  completed  during  his  second  pastorate.  Since 
then  it  has  been  greatly  enlarged,  and  Laurel  Street 
is  now  one  of  our  most  flourishing  churches. 

But  Centenary  did  not  exhaust  all  her  energies  in 
this  one  enterprise.  Five  years  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Oregon  society,  a  Sunday  School  was 
started  in  the  home  of  Mrs.  Bethel,  an  elect  lady  of 
our  church,  who  lived  on  Main  street  near  what  is 
now  known  as  Monroe  Park.  This  school,  out  of 
which  grew  Sidney  Chapel,  had  a  very  modest  be- 
ginning, only  seven  pupils  being  enrolled.  It  was 
organized  by  Albert  L.  West,  who  for  forty-seven 
years  was  a  faithful  and  honored  member  of  Cente- 
nary Church.  He  has  so  recently  gone  home  that 
there  is  no  need  to  tell  Virginia  Methodists  about 
him.  We  never  had  a  man  who  was  more  enthusi- 
astic and  energetic  as  a  Sunday  School  worker  than 
he.  For  many  years,  at  much  cost  of  time  and 
energy,  he  watched  over  the  little  vine  he  had 
planted,  and  his  faith  was  at  last  rewarded  by  seeing 
it  blossom  into  a  great  church. 

Sidney  Chapel  was  built  in  1856,  two  years  after 
the  organization  of  the  Sunday  School.  In  1871,  the 
Conference  Mission  Board  made  an  appropriation  of 
$360.00  to  Oregon  and  Sidney,  and  the  Rev.  George 
C.  Vanderslice  was  sent  as  preacher  in  charge  of  the 
latter  church.  It  proved  to  be  a  wise  investment  of 
the  Lord's  money.  Gracious  revivals  accompanied 
the  preaching  of  Brother  Vanderslice  through  the 
whole  four  years  of  his  ministry,  and  large  numbers 


68  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

were  added  to  the  church,  so  that  by  1875  Sidney 
had  become  a  self-supporting  charge.  Its  name  was 
then  changed  to  Main  Street  Church.  Brother 
Vanderslice  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  George  H. 
Ray,  who  remained  one  year.  The  rapid  growth  of 
the  congregation  necessitated  the  building  of  a  new 
church,  which  was  soon  accomplished  through  the 
generosity  of  our  large-hearted  layman,  James  B. 
Pace,  and  the  beautiful  Park  Place  Church  stands  to- 
day as  a  monument  to  his  munificence.  Park  Place 
was  dedicated  in  1870,  by  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards,  who 
had  been  appointed  its  first  pastor. 

Out  of  Laurel  Street  grew  Asbury  (formerly 
Washington  Street),  and  more  recently  Epworth, 
while  from  Centenary  has  sprung  still  another 
church — Highland  Park.  And  so  the  good  work 
goes  on.  May  it  continue  till  the  church  militant 
shall  be  merged  into  the  church  triumphant.  And 
may  the  spirit  of  our  fathers,  who  worked  so  well  in 
the  establishment  of  these  churches,  linger  long  in 
the  hearts  of  their  sons  and  daughters,  making  them 
workmen  that  need  not  to  be  ashamed. 


III. 

THE   WORK   OF   THE   LAYMAN'S   UNION. 


The  Layman's  Union  of  Richmond  originated 
at  a  meeting  of  representatives  of  the  Methodist 
churches  of  the  city  in  the  interest  of  the  endowment 
fund  of  Randolph-Macon  College.  This  meeting — 
which,  by  the  way,  resulted  in  the  contribution  of 
$56,000  to  the  endowment  fund  by  Richmond 
Methodists — was  held  at  Pizzini's  Parlors,  March 
3,  1887.  There  were  about  sixty  persons  present 
and  the  fraternal  feeling  manifested  suggested  the 
formation  of  a  permanent  organization  for  the  general 
purposes  cf  bringing  the  laity  of  the  church  together 
socially,  and  the  maturing  of  plans  for  the  more 
efficient  prosecution  of  the  work  of  church  extension 
in  the  city.  Specifically,  the  object  was  to  co- 
operate with  the  Sunday  School  Society,  which  had 
alone  undertaken  the  Home  Mission  work  of  the 
city,  by  looking  after  the  material  development  of 
the  church  in  unoccupied  territory  while  the  Society 
looked  after  its  spiritual  development. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Union  was  held  in  June, 
1887.  At  this  meeting,  which  was  largely  attended, 

[63] 


64  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Col.  John  P.  Branch  was  elected  president.  Shortly 
afterwards  the  Union  in  conjunction  with  the  Sunday 
School  Society  moved  a  chapel  from  near  the  toll- 
gate  on  Mechanicsville  pike  to  Howard's  Grove, 
where  the  Sunday  School  Society  was  already  at 
work.  The  little  church  thus  started  grew  rapidly 
under  the  care  of  the  Society,  and  in  a  little  while 
the  congregation  built  a  handsome  church  on  Fair- 
mount  Avenue. 

In  June,  1888,  the  Union  and  the  Sunday  School 
Society  held  a  mass-meeting  at  Broad  Street  Church 
in  the  interest  of  church  extension  in  the  city.  This 
meeting  was  presided  over  by  Mr.  John  Morton,  and 
nearly  $10,000  was  raised  for  missionary  purposes  in 
the  East  and  West  ends  of  the  city.  This  movement 
was  watched  with  the  deepest  interest.  The  Rev. 
Dr.  Garland  expressed  the  opinion  that  if  the  work 
was  prosecuted  according  to  the  plans  adopted,  it 
would  solve  the  problem  of  Home  Missions  in  the 
Southern  Methodist  Church.  The  money  raised  at 
this  meeting  was  used  partly  to  build  what  was 
known  as  Washington  Street  Church,  at  the  corner 
of  Cary  and  Washington  streets  in  the  West  end, 
and  partly  to  purchase  a  lot  at  the  corner  of  Twenty- 
ninth  and  Marshall  streets  in  the  Eastern  part  of  the 
city.  Washington  Street  Church  soon  outgrew  the 
neighborhood  in  which  it  was  erected,  and  in  a  few 
years  the  building  was  moved  to  Lombardy  street, 
between  Grove  and  Hanover,  and  the  name  changed 
to  Asbury  Church. 


COL.  JOHN    P.    BRANCH. 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  65 

For  some  years  Trinity  had  conducted  a  mission 
school  at  the  corner  of  Twenty-ninth  and  Marshall 
streets.  This  school  was  now  turned  over  to  the 
Sunday  School  Society,  and  the  work  was  pushed  with 
a  view  to  the  establishment  of  a  church  in  that  part  of 
the  city.  By  the  aid  of  the  Layman's  Union  the 
Sunday  School  Society  erected  St.  James  Church  at 
a  cost  exceeding  $5,000.  The  success  of  this  enter- 
prise was  due  largely  to  the  zeal  and  liberality  of  the 
late  Robert  H.  Whitlock.  These  two  churches, 
Asbury  and  Washington  Street,  are  now  among  the 
most  progressive  churches  in  the  city. 

The  work  of  the  Union,  of  which  but  a  partial 
account  is  here  given,  covers  a  period  of  about  seven 
years.  During  this  period  of  great  activity  it  was 
presided  over  by  Col.  John  P.  Branch,  Mr.  John  P. 
Morton  and  Mr.  Arthur  L.  Lumsden  successively. 

Among  the  most  zealous  members  of  the  Union 
were  the  late  T.  L.  D.  Walford  and  the  late  Charles 
H.  Hasker. 

The  emphasis  which  the  Union  placed  upon  the 
connectional  idea  gave  a  new  impulse  to  the  work 
of  church  extension  throughout  the  city,  and  resulted 
in  the  establishment  of  more  churches  during  its 
short  life  than  had  been  established  in  the  forty 
years  preceding  its  organization. 


IV 

THE  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  AND  THE 
EPWORTH  LEAGUE. 


Sunday  Schools  are  like  mothers,  in  that  while  they 
have  furnished  much  material  for  history,  they  have 
furnished  scarcely  any  material  for  a  history  of  them- 
selves. The  Sunday  Schools  of  Richmond  are  not 
exceptions  to  the  rule.  Their  deeds  are  recorded  in 
the  lives  of  men,  not  on  parchments.  In  the  general 
turning  up  of  old  manuscripts  preparatory  to  the 
Centennial  hardly  anything  came  to  light  relating 
to  the  Sunday  School  work  of  the  past.  Even  the 
Sunday  School  Society,  which  has  been  in  operation 
for  nearly  forty  years,  and  has  done  probably  as  much 
for  Richmond  Methodism  as  any  other  single  agency, 
has  preserved  nothing  from  which  one  might  get  even 
a  faint  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  its  achievements. 
Almost  the  only  record  of  real  value  is  to  be  found  in 
the  present  condition  of  the  Sunday  Schools  of  the 
city  and  vicinity.  There  are  at  present  eighteen  Sun- 
day Schools  in  Richmond  and  suburbs,  not  including 
Manchester.  The  latest  complete  annual  report 
available  is  for  the  year  1897.  Of  the  4,914  officers, 

[66] 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  67 

teachers  and  pupils  then  on  the  roll,  2,189  were 
members  of  the  church.  The  conversions  reported 
during  the  year  aggregated  399.  Eighty-eight  in- 
digent pupils  were  assisted,  and  the  sum  of  $4,084.84 
was  raised  for  all  purposes.  According  to  this  report 
the  largest  Sunday  School  in  the  city  was  Union 
Station,  having  a  membership  of  763 — Laurel  Street 
coming  next  with  412  members,  and  Clay  Street  with 
409.  The  membership  in  the  other  schools  ranged 
from  394  (Denny  Street)  to  forty-seven  (High- 
land Springs).  The  largest  number  of  conversions 
(eighty-eight)  was  reported  from  Union  Station. 
Trinity  assisted  twenty  indigent  pupils,  Centenary 
eighteen,  Denny  Street,  Hasker  Memorial  and  Laurel 
Street  ten  each,  Union  Station  nine,  St.  James  five 
and  Epworth  two. 

The  report  for  1899  will  hardly  differ  very  mate- 
rially from  these  figures.  There  has  been  some 
growth,  though  the  present  total  membership  is  little 
in  excess  of  five  thousand.  The  schools  are  in  a 
healthy  condition,  the  character  of  the  work  is 
steadily  improving,  and  the  outlook  is  altogether 
promising. 

The  Sunday  School  Society  continues  its  useful- 
ness under  the  presidency  of  the  Hon.  Addison 
Maupin.  Besides  Mr.  Maupin,  this  society  has  had 
ten  presidents;  viz:  William  Couling,  Asa  Snyder, 
William  Willis,  Jr.,  A.  L.  West,  C.  H.  Hasker,  R.  A. 
Richardson,  John  Morton,  C.  W.  Hunter,  R.  S.  M. 
Valentine  and  Alfred  Gary. 


68  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

THE  EPWORTH  LEAGUE  came  into  existence  at  so 
recent  a  date  that  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  have 
completed  the  first  chapter  of  its  history.  The  first 
League  in  Richmond  was  organized  in  1892  at  Clay 
Street  Church  by  the  pastor,  the  Rev.  E.  H.  Rawlings. 
The  second  League  was  formed  in  1893  at  Fair- 
mount  under  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  H.  E.  Johnson. 
In  1894  Union  Station  Mission  (Hasker  Memorial) 
was  added  to  the  list,  and  during  the  following  year 
Centenary,  West  End  (Manchester),  Laurel  Street, 
Asbury,  Union  Station,  Trinity,  St.  James,  Park 
Place  and  Broad  Street.  In  1895  a  Local  Council 
was  organized  with  a  membership  of  fourteen 
Leagues.  The  first  president  of  the  Council  was  the 
Rev.  J.  W.  Moore;  the  first  secretary,  Mr.  Frank  T. 
Bates,  Jr.  Mr.  Moore  was  succeded  by  Mr.  E.  W. 
Bandy  of  St. James  Church,  who  continued  in  office 
until  the  present  year,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Frank  L.  Wells  of  Park  Place. 

The  Richmond  League  has  from  the  beginning 
occupied  a  prominent  place  in  the  general  work.  Per- 
haps no  one  did  so  much  to  get  the  organization 
under  way  in  Virginia  as  the  Rev.  E.  H.  Rawlings, 
who  is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  pastor  of  Clay 
Street  Church.  Mr.  Rawlings  has  been  for  several 
years  a  valuable  member  of  the  Epworth  League 
Board  of  the  Church,  South.  Of  the  present  officers 
of  the  State  League,  the  president,  the  Rev.  W.  B. 
Beauchamp,  and  the  secretary,  Mr.  W.  Reginald 
Walker,  are  members  of  Richmond  Leagues. 


THE  MAKING  OF  RICHMOND  METHODISM.  69 

While  the  League  has  not  grown  as  rapidly  in 
Richmond  and  vicinity  as  could  have  been  desired 
the  condition  of  the  work  as  a  whole  is  gratifying, 
and  gives  promise  of  a  bright  future.  In  most  of 
our  churches  pastors  have  found  the  League  an  in- 
valuable aid,  especially  in  revival  seasons. 

In  addition  to  the  societies  already  mentioned 
Leagues  are  now  in  successful  operation  at  Fifth 
Street  and  Asbury,  Manchester,  and  Denny  Street, 
this  city. 

The  officers  of  the  Local  Council  are:  President, 
Mr.  Frank  L.  Wells,  Park  Place;  first  vice-president, 
Mr.  J.  Frank  Tiller,  of  Centenary;  second  vice-presi- 
dent, Mr.  J.  H.  Busby,  of  Fifth  Street,  Manchester; 
third  vice-president,  Mrs.  G.  M.  Smithdeal,  Broad 
Street;  secretary,  Mr.  Asa  Johnson,  Clay  Street; 
treasurer,  Dr.  W.  D.  Willis,  of  Asbury. 


MAKERS  OF  METHODISM  IN  RICHMOND. 


I. 

MEN  THAT  MADE  METHODISM. 

BY   THE    REV.    JOHN   J.    LAFFERTY,    D.    L. 

I  have  taken  it  as  the  task  set  me,  to  tell  of  the 
type  of  men  in  the  ministry  who  made  Methodism  in 
this  capital  of  Virginia. 

Our  Church  in  Richmond  has  gained,  as  do  all 
growing  denominations,  its  accretions  in  part  from 
the  country  chapels.  In  the  pioneer  period  the 
changes  of  ministers  were  frequent.  At  first  they 
remained  but  three  or  six  months  in  a  pastorate. 
They  were  now  in  the  North,  next  year  in  the  South. 
The  evangelist  of  Vermont  would  pass  during  one 
revolving  year  to  the  frontiermen  of  Daniel  Boone 
in  Kentucky  or  to  the  rice  regions  of  Carolina. 

When  an  average  itinerant  of  that  age  is  described, 
we  know  the  entire  body  of  ministers. 

The  era  of  the  American  Revolution  was  signal- 
ized by  phenomenal  men — statesmen  and  warriors. 
Mr.  Gladstone  gave  opinion  that  the  Constitution 
of  the  United  States  was  the  greatest  single  product 
of  the  human  mind  at  any  given  period.  It  seems 
Providence  prepared  the  men  for  the  need  and  occa- 
sion. The  early  annals  of  our  Church  in  this  country 

[73] 


74  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

coerces  to  the  conclusion  that  God  raised  up  fit  men 
for  the  demands  of  religion  in  the  new  nation.  When 
God  intends  "  to  turn  the  world  upside  down,"  he 
selects  stout  instruments. 

Statesmanship,  constitutions  and  governments 
could  have  success  only  among  a  people  fit  for  self- 
control  by  reason  of  moral  poise.  The  philosophic 
historian  must  reckon  Methodism  as  a  mighty  factor 
in  the  experiment  of  ordered  liberty  on  this  new  con- 
tinent. It  must  be  conceded  that  Methodism  to  no 
little  degree  made  ready  the  soil  in  which  has  grown 
this  great  banyan  tree  of  popular  government,  with 
its  spreading  shade,  protecting  boughs,  widening, 
self-rooting  power.  There  remains  to  be  written  a 
treatise  giving  full  credit  to  the  saddle-bag  cohorts 
for  their  work  as  patriots  in  building  up  this  vast 
temple  of  free  institutions — a  wonder  to  the  earth's 
nations.  Such  a  theme  does  not  fall  within  the  limits 
prescribed  by  the  programme  for  my  hour.  I  draw 
myself  within  narrower  confines. 

Churches  like  nations  have  birth  from  the  genius  of 
giants.  The  tribe  dates  its  genesis  to  victorious  and 
mighty  men — heroic  founders.  The  Greek  sung  the 
song  of  "  Troy  divine,"  captured  by  Argive  warriors, 
Agamemnon,  Ajax,  Achilles — great  chieftains  whose 
prowess  and  genius  for  affairs  had  made  powerful 
peoples  by  the  sunny  sea  and  along  the  "  isles  of 
Greece."  The  story  of  martial  ancestors  inspired 
the  sons  to  make  Marathon,  Thermopylae,  Salamis 
scenes  of  unperishing  glory.  And  so  too,  the  forti- 


THE  MAKERS.  75 

tude  that  kept  at  bay,  under  the  walls  of  Troy,  for  ten 
long  years  the  marshalled  host  of  the  Hellenes  by 
the  Scamander  and  Simois,  till  strategy  and  hostile 
gods  prevailed  over  courage,  was  cherished  on  the 
shores  of  distant  Latium,  where  the  exiles  from 
Priam's  fated  and  royal  city,  reared  a  mightier  Illium 
on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber.  The  thrilling  numbers 
of  the  yEnead  surcharged  the  clans  of  Romulus  and 
Remus  in  Alba  Longa  to  do  and  dare  as  worthy  of 
Hector  and  the  heroes,  their  ancestors. 

It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  "  Peace  hath  her 
victories  no  less  renowned  than  war."  We  come  to 
recount  the  deeds  of  men  who  wrought  righteous- 
ness in  the  earth  by  personal  sacrifices  and  exertions 
worthy  of  all  praise.  If  mortal  ever  merited  the 
title  of  hero  the  American  itinerant  can  justly  claim 
it.  We  honor  ourselves  in  recalling  his  career.  Not 
since  the  days  of  Paul,  have  there  appeared  apostolic 
men  with  equal  zeal,  loyalty  to  Jesus  and  self-abne- 
gation. They  were  engaged  in  the  greatest  religious 
movement  since  the  apostolic  age.  Or,  to  use  the 
words  of  a  Presbyterian  author,  "  the  rise  of  Metho- 
dism is  among  the  greatest  marvels  of  human  his- 
tory." It  will  amaze  you,  if  you  have  not  read  the 
page  of  the  Church's  progress,  to  know  that  the  pio- 
neers of  Methodism  surpassed  even  the  apostles  in 
results.  "  Methodism  gained  nearly  three  times  as 
many  members  to  its  Communion  in  its  first  century 
as  the  Apostolic  Church  during  its  first  century." 
This  statement,  true  to  the  letter,  is  below  exact 


76  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

figures.  The  numbers  inside  our  ranks  are  only 
a  part  of  the  sheaves  of  our  sowing  and  reaping. 
Virtue  went  out  of  our  ministry  to  other  pulpits. 
We  harvested  only  two-thirds  of  our  crop  of  con- 
verts. Who  can  tabulate  the  influence  of  Metho- 
dism beyond  our  pale? 

We  must  estimate  the  difficulties  overcome  to 
rightly  gauge  the  force  that  crushed  them.  The 
ballistic  power  of  a  gun  has  relation  to  the  resistance 
to  be  overcome.  The  missile  that  pierces  the  pre- 
pared and  protected  plate  of  great  thickness  and 
toughness  wins  upon  the  admiration  of  naval  experts. 
The  shattered  steel  sheath  of  the  ship  certifies  the 
velocity,  hardness,  impact  of  the  projectile. 

What  were  the  obstacles  to  Methodism — what  the 
resources  to  master  them?  As  the  century  closes, 
Methodism  in  America  is  the  national  Church.  It 
has  its  millions  of  members,  noble  temples  in  the 
cities,  countless  chapels  in  the  country,  its  colleges 
in  many  Commonwealths.  American  Methodism 
builds  a  thousand  churches  each  year.  The  preach- 
ers now  "  go  "  to  their  pastorates  in  Pullman  palace 
coaches.  The  chief  citizens  welcome  them  on  arri- 
val. The  elegant  official  residence  of  our  "clergy  " 
vies  with  the  architecture  and  comforts  of  bank  presi- 
dents. Costly  choirs  "raise  the  tune."  In  primi- 
tive organizations,  the  chieftain  chosen  for  statue, 
force,  edged  sword,  led  with  claymore  in  his  good, 
right  hand,  cleaving  a  path  through  the  foes.  The 
"  Major  General "  in  after  ages  can  sit  in  a  private 


TEE  MAKERS.  77 

car,  subduing  heat  by  "  cooling  drinks  "  and  bath 
tubs,  directing  movements  of  troops  by  "  field  wire." 
Once  the  Sheik  planned  and  in  person  charged  "  the 
armies  of  the  alien."  Progress  of  events  puts  the 
army  in  battle  array  and  the  chief  captain  in  the  rear. 
Von  Moltke  reading  Dickens  on  the  grassy  slope 
far  from  the  shot  of  French  artillery,  and  Richard 
of  the  Lion  Heart,  with  battle  ax  swinging  in  the 
air,  making  a  circle  of  metallic  sheen,  as  it  splits 
skulls  of  Saracens,  measure  the  diameter  of  distance 
made  in  the  art  of  war.  The  pioneer  preacher  of 
our  Church  in  this  country  was  Richard  and  Von 
Moltke  in  one.  He  thought  out  the  campaign  and 
brought  it  to  victory  by  his  own  presence  and  prow- 
ess. Men  making  large  history  seldom  record  their 
achievements — the  pen  fits  the  fingers  of  sedentary 
champions,  the  sword  fits  the  iron  grip  of  centurions. 
The  only  information  of  many  "  men  of  statue  "  in 
the  heroic  age  of  our  Church  is  dim  tradition. 
They  brought  things  to  pass  and  their  deeds  are  tes- 
timony and  eulogy.  The  Himalayas  are  proof  of 
the  power  that  heaved  this  range  of  rocks  into  the 
clouds.  Methodism  is  a  stupendous  achievement. 
There  surely  were  "  giants  in  those  days,"  for  feeble 
muscle  erects  no  pyramid  on  the  plain. 

When  the  little  band  of  evangelists,  led  by  Asbury 
a  hundred  years  ago  began,  they  were  confronted  by 
difficulties  that  would  have  staggered  men  if  their 
"  lives  had  been  dear  unto  themselves."  Religion 
had  lost  its  power  in  the  land.  The  pulpits  seemed 


78  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

slumbering.  They  aroused  themselves  only  to  as- 
sail the  Methodist  preachers.  The  parsons  of  the 
Church  of  England  in  the  South  had  become  a  by- 
word of  contempt.  They  were  fed  on  taxes,  wrung 
from  a  protesting  people.  Their  lives  were  scanda- 
lous. There  were  rare  exceptions.  The  devout 
Devereux  Jarratt,  the  rector  of  Sapony,  Buttenvood, 
in  Virginia,  showed  kindness  to  the  Methodists  and 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  his  brother  clergy.  The 
evangelical  preachers  found  no  favor  with  such  min- 
isters. Jarratt  wrote  that  only  one  rector  in  Vir- 
ginia out  of  ninety-four  was  a  devout  man.  There 
was  a  statute  in  the  Virginia  Code  that  "ministers 
shall  not  give  themselves  to  riot,  playing  at  dice, 
cards  and  other  unlawful  games,  but  that  at  all  times 
convenient  they  shall  hear  or  read  somewhat  of  the 
Scriptures."  One  had  to  be  "  tied  in  his  gig "  to 
prevent  tumbling  out.  When  the  precentor  (leader 
of  singing)  announced  the  hymn  "  was  out,"  the 
drowsy  parson  in  the  pulpit  muttered,  "  Fill  it  up 
again."  We  know  the  depraved  condition  of  morals 
in  England  among  many  clergy.  The  official  eccle- 
siastic in  the  colonies  was  "  tarred  with  the  same 
stick."  In  America  "  high  Church  officials  and  min- 
isters drank  immoderately  without  seriously  compro- 
mising their  position."  The  Rev.  Leonard  Woods 
said,  "  I  remember  forty  ministers  who  were  intem- 
perate." "A  great  many  deacons  in  New  England 
died  drunkards."  "  I  have  a  list  of  123  intemperate 
deacons  in  Massachusetts;  forty-three  became  sots." 


THE  MAKERS.  79 

Bishop  Meade  speaks  of  the  "  vices  "  of  the  clergy 
in   Virginia.     "  In   Maryland   the   Lord's   Day   was 
profaned,  religion  despised  and  all  notorious  vices 
committed,  so  that  it  became  a  Sodom  of  unclean- 
ness  and  a  pest-house  of  iniquity."     Infidel  books 
were  sold  for  a  small  price  or  given  away,  and  "  lead- 
ing  statesmen   were   Atheists   or   Deists."      "  With 
few  exceptions  all  the  great  men  engaged  in  laying 
the  foundation   of  the  government   of  the   United 
States "   held   infidel   sentiments.     Chancellor   Kent 
said :    "  In  my  younger  days  there  were  very  few 
professional  men  that  were  not  infidels."     Bishop 
Meade  records :  "  I  can  truly  say  that  in  every  edu- 
cated young  man  in  Virginia  whom  I  met  I  expected 
to   find   a   skeptic,   if   not   an   avowed   unbeliever." 
Princeton  College  and  William  and  Mary  were  "  hot- 
beds of  infidelity."     Transylvania  University,  Ken- 
tucky, founded  by  the  Presbyterians,  was  wrested 
from  them  by  infidelity.    Ordinations  of  ministers  in 
New  England  were  made  occasion  for  festivity,  often 
ended  in  an   "  ordination  ball,"   accompanied  with 
"  copious  drinking."     The  continental  army  of  Gen- 
eral Washington,  when  disbanded,  "poisoned  every 
community  with   skepticism  and   immorality."     In 
1789   the    General    Assembly    of   the    Presbyterian 
Church  in  their  address  say,  "  a  dissolution  of  reli- 
gious society  seems  threatened."     In  Kentucky  and 
in  other  States,  newly  settled,  there  was  fearful  im- 
morality.   Peter  Cartright  says  Kentucky  was  called 
"  Rogues'  Harbor "  and  the  bad  element  was  "  in 


80  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

the  majority."  Under  Whitefield's  preaching  in  New 
England  a  number  of  Congregational  ministers  were 
converted.  And  the  church  members  in  this  immoral 
condition  and  their  clergy  stood  opposing  the  Metho- 
dist preachers. 

A  dozen  ministers  dare  to  inaugurate  a  campaign 
against  sodden  vice  in  low  places,  and  against  in- 
fidelity, almost  universal  among  the  intelligent 
citizenship.  These  itinerants  were  without  money, 
social  influence,  homeless,  hated,  yet  they  threw 
themselves  into  the  battle  with  a  courage  equal  to 
the  fortitude  of  a  Paul.  The  continent,  from  Canada 
to  the  lands  of  the  red  savages  in  upper  Georgia  and 
on  the  Ohio,  was  their  parish.  American  civilization 
was  a  narrow  strip  along  the  Atlantic  from  Maine  to 
Florida,  with  the  savages  on  the  western  and  southern 
border.  There  was  no  turnpike,  no  stage,  seldom 
a  bridge,  few  ferries.  Rivers  must  be  crossed  by 
swimming.  Roads  were  trails.  The  itinerant  might 
secure  lodging  in  a  one-room  hut,  "  with  husband, 
wife  and  six  children,  one  always  moving  about," 
and  a  piece  of  fat  bacon  and  corn-pone  for  breakfast. 
It  was  not  uncommon  to  be  refused  a  shelter. 
Drenched,  he  must  lay  down  in  the  forest  to  rise  at 
dawn  bitten  by  frost,  and  ride  on,  hungry.  In  New 
York  a  young  woman  repulsed  Bishop  Asbury,  who 
was  sick,  from  her  door  and  he  rode  on  in  darkness 
and  tempest,  refused  again  and  again.  Jesse  Lee, 
the  apostle  to  New  England,  preached  three  months 
without  an  invitation  to  a  house.  These  apostolic 


GEORGE  FERGUSSON. 


THE  MAKERS.  81 

men  here  and  there  were  put  in  jail  for  telling  men 
of  a  Saviour.  The  mob  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  dragged 
the  saintly  and  eloquent  Douherty  to  the  town  pump 
and  would  have  drowned  him  but  for  a  kind  woman 
using  her  apron  to  stop  the  spout.  He  caught  a 
cold  that  killed  him.  Not  a  few  carried  scars. 
Garrettson  was  left  for  dead  on  the  roadside.  A 
woman  relieved  him.  A  planter  in  Mississippi  drove 
Richmond  Nolley  from  the  smoke-stack  of  his  sugar 
mill,  where  he  was  warming  himself.  Lee  was  glad 
to  find  shelter  in  South  Carolina  "  in  a  log  cabin 
without  doors,  with  thirty  to  forty  hogs  sleeping 
under  the  house." 

Asbury,  the  Bishop,  kept  a  journal.  He  gives  a 
glimpse  into  sufferings.  He  travelled  from  Canada 
to  the  frontier  in  Georgia  and  Kentucky,  chiefly  on 
horseback.  He  crossed  the  Alleghanies  sixty  times 
along  bear  trails.  He  mentions  the  three  ranges 
between  North  Carolina  and  Virginia  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  cross,  which  he  calls,  "  first  steel,  second 
stone,  third  iron,  they  are  right  difficult  to  climb." 
"  Awful  thunder  and  lightning,  accompanied  by 
heavy  rain,"  attended  the  trip.  "We  crept  for  shelter 
into  a  little  dirty  house  where  the  filth  might  have 
been  taken  from  the  floor  with  a  spade."  They  were 
wet;  could  get  no  fire  as  the  wood  was  soaked. 
In  the  mean  time  "  both  horses  were  foundered  and 
had  sore  backs."  In  passing  through  West  Virginia, 
he  and  his  companions  could  find  no  food  but  "  what 
grew  in  the  woods."  His  lodging  is  described.  "  I 
6 


8t  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

lay  on  the  floor  on  a  few  deerskins  with  the  fleas. 
Brothers  Phoebus  and  Cook  took  to  the  woods." 

We  can  appreciate  his  cry,  "  O  how  glad  should 
I  be  of  a  plain  clean  plank  to  lie  on,  as  preferable  to 
most  beds."  He  gives  the  reason.  "  The  beds  are 
in  a  bad  state,  the  floors  are  worse."  It  was  a  luxury 
to  get  into  the  shed  part  of  a  cabin  with  a  bed 
mounted  on  posts  driven  in  the  ground  with  clap- 
boards on  cross  poles.  He  wore  a  "  brimstone  shirt  " 
for  weeks  to  relieve  him  of  a  tormenting  malady 
contracted  in  some  filthy  bed.  He  relates  that  cold 
corn-bread  and  cucumbers  were  his  sole  food  while 
sighing  for  a  bowl  of  milk.  A  companion  tells  us  the 
Bishop  "  rode  all  day  in  a  storm,  taking  calomel  every 
two  hours,"  till  he  loaded  up  with  "  eighty  grains  " 
of  this  metallic  drug.  He  pushed  ahead,  with  "  great 
blisters  drawing  on  his  body."  These  men  of  God 
had  a  rule  "  that  no  weather  a  man  can  live  in,  must 
stop  a  preacher."  For  forty-five  years  he,  a  delicate 
man,  often  ill,  travelled  a  distance  equal  to  the  cir- 
cumference of  the  globe  every  four  years.  He  was 
accustomed  to  rise  by  dawn,  and  ride  twenty  miles 
to  breakfast,  preaching  two  or  three  times  a  day  and 
covering  forty  to  fifty  miles.  He  attended  224  Con- 
ferences and  ordained  4,000  ministers;  preached 
16,000  times.  He  continued  his  tours  till  age  and 
disease  had  smitten  him  sorely.  His  travelling  com- 
panion lifted  him  from  his  horse.  In  this  city  he 
rested  himself  on  a  table  and  preached  his  last  sermon. 
Then  helped  to  his  horse  he  pressed  northward,  but 


THE  MAKERS.  83 

death  gave  him  his  rest  in  Spottsylvania  County. 
Such  was  Francis  Asbury — apostle  and  statesman, 
worthy  of  any  age  of  the  church. 

Asbury  endured  hardships;  yet  his  office  gave  him 
advantage  over  his  brethren  in  comforts.  If  the  chief 
captain  suffered  these  things,  what  were  the  depri- 
vations of  the  men  in  the  ranks?  They  left  no  word 
of  complaint,  no  record  of  exploit;  even  their  tombs 
are  unknown.  "  They  labored,  suffered  and  triumphed 
in  obscurity.  No  admiring  population  to  cheer  them 
on.  No  great  newspaper  gazetted  them  into  fame." 
When  a  call  came  from  the  men  on  the  frontier,  for 
more  preachers  to  help,  directions  were  given  to  send 
no  man  who  was  "  afraid  to  die."  It  was  added,  "  their 
lives  will  be  in  jeopardy  from  the  red  men."  The 
Rev.  Thomas  Ware  relates  that  while  preaching 
the  alarm  was  raised,  "  Indians !  "  Two  lads  came 
running  and  shouted,  "  The  Indians  have  killed 
mother."  It  was  true.  The  outlaw  and  the  Indian 
were  there.  The  red  barbarian  killed  all.  The  mem- 
bers of  "  Rogues'  Harbor "  preferred  to  murder  a 
Methodist  itinerant  to  heeding  him.  Richmond 
Nolley  was  found  frozen  to  death  on  his  route  to 
fill  an  appointment  for  preaching.  He  died  on  his 
knees.  Only  fibre  of  steel  could  hold  out  against 
such  privations,  toil  and  miasma.  Dauntless  courage 
nerved  every  breast. 

These  apostles  left  home,  friends,  parents,  sisters  and 
brothers  behind  them.  Before  them  were  strangers, 
sacrifices,  wanderings.  They  could  hope  only  for  sub- 


84  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

sistence.  They  could  not  draw  drafts  on  a  mission- 
ary treasury.  Had  one  been  a  Baptist  or  Presbyterian, 
he  might  have  had  hope  of  meeting,  in  a  new  place, 
people  friendly  to  him,  but  there  were  no  Methodists. 
His  business  was  to  plant. 

There  was  a  frontier  settlement  called  the  Natchez 
country  on  the  Mississippi.  The  trail  led  through  the 
Indian  tribes  of  Georgia  and  Alabama.  They  were 
at  times  on  the  war-path.  Gibson  volunteered  to 
visit  Natchez.  He  rode  to  the  Cumberland  River, 
sold  his  horse,  bought  a  canoe,  put  bridle  and  saddle- 
bags in  the  boat,  floated  on  the  Cumberland  to  the 
Ohio,  down  it  to  the  Mississippi,  on  to  "  Circuit." 
Such  was  the  sanctified  grit  of  that  generation.  And 
what  was  the  earthly  gain?  Let  the  historian  record 
one  specimen.  The  condition  of  an  itinerant  who 
had  visited  nearly  every  cabin  in  wide  regions, 
preaching  in  North  Carolina,  Tennessee,  Kentucky, 
Ohio,  praying  with  the  inmates  of  the  log  homes, 
is  described,  "  patch  above  patch  until  the  patches 
themselves  were  worn  out,  bare  kneed,  bare  elbowed, 
without  a  cent  in  his  pocket  or  a  friend  to  give  him 
a  new  garment,"  yet  worthy  of  the  raiment  of  a 
prince.  Asbury,  at  a  Conference,  was  so  moved  at 
the  ragged  appearance  of  these  noble  men,  that  he 
records  how  he  "  parted  with  my  watch,  my  coat, 
my  shirt "  to  supply  their  need.  One  preacher  wore 
out  one  sleeve  of  his  coat  but  continued  to  expound, 
though  one  arm  had  only  a  shirt  sleeve. 

The  achievements  of  these  evangelists  are  without 


THE  MAKERS.  85 

a  parallel.  The  men  who  companied  with  Jesus  did 
not  in  the  same  time  accomplish  equal  results.  They 
were  highly  endowed.  Jesse  Lee,  a  Virginian,  had 
extraordinary  gifts.  At  a  time  when  Methodism  was 
ridiculed,  Lee  was  elected  chaplain  to  Congress  and 
reflected.  He  retired  of  his  own  will.  There  were 
statesmen,  jurists,  orators  in  Congress.  They  selected 
Lee  to  preach  on  each  Sabbath.  He  ranks  with  the 
greatest  Americans  of  that  notable  era. 

The  Rev.  Edward  Drumgoole,  of  Brunswick 
County,  was  distinctly  a  man  of  might.  His  weight, 
tact  and  godliness  prevented  a  split  in  early  Metho- 
dism. "  High  order  of  intellect,  deep  piety,  great 
moral  worth,  eloquent,  effective,  original,  needing 
not  to  repeat  sermons,  unassuming."  The  late  Rev. 
Benjamin  Devany  spoke  of  his  discourses  as  "  awfully 
sublime  beyond  description,  with  the  most  thrilling 
effect  I  ever  witnessed."  He  was  born  in  Ireland  and 
inherited  the  genius  of  his  people.  At  eighty-one 
he  was  still  a  master  of  assemblies. 

There  is  no  portrait  of  Drumgoole,  but  our  State 
Library  has  a  printed  image  of  his  great  son,  a  mem- 
ber of  Congress,  and  in  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Madison, 
equal  to  the  presidency  of  the  United  States  which 
was  within  his  reach.  His  face  testifies  to  the  great- 
ness of  the  statesman  and  orator. 

John  Easter,  of  Mecklenburg  county,  lives  in 
history  as  a  spiritual  wonder.  Unlettered  and  rude 
in  speech,  he  dominated  vast  crowds.  Like  Elijah  he 
carried  the  keys  to  the  clouds.  When  a  storm  was 


86  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

nearly  ove-head,  threatening  a  great  congregation 
in  the  woods,  and  the  people  were  restless,  he  called 
on  God  to  protect  the  audience.  The  cloud  divided, 
raining  on  each  side  of  the  grounds,  but  not  a  drop 
falling  on  man  or  woman.  Next  day  a  shower  came 
upon  the  land  not  watered  the  day  before.  On 
another  occasion,  in  the  forest,  there  was  a  sudden 
noise  in  the  tree-tops  as  if  a  hurricane  was  passing, 
though  not  a  leaf  moved.  This  display  was  followed 
by  a  descent  of  the  Spirit,  and  there  arose  strong  cries 
for  mercy  and  shouts  of  joy.  These  are  unquestioned 
facts.  Tradition  has  brought  down  many  kindred 
demonstrations. 

Among  his  converts  were  Enoch  George  and  Wil- 
liam McKendree,  two  bishops. 

The  men  who  compassed  this  American  Refor- 
mation were  endowed  with  phenomenal  powers. 
They  were  not  scholars,  though  one  would  be  sur- 
prised at  the  extent  of  their  reading.  Lee  one  year 
read  five  thousand  pages  while,  preaching  every  day, 
riding  forty  miles.  Among  the  volumes  was  a  work 
of  Aristotle.  They  had  "  mental  vigor,  shrewdness, 
extraordinary  knowledge  of  human  nature;  many  of 
them  commanded  an  overwhelming  eloquence."  It 
cannot  be  questioned  that  among  these  itinerants 
were  men  matching  with  Patrick  Henry  in  prevailing 
speech.  Mr.  Asbury,  always  careful  in  speech,  men- 
tions one  as  equal  to  Jefferson  and  Madison  in  native 
outfit.  They  were  men  of  superior  parts.  The  first 
governor  of  Ohio  was  a  Methodist  preacher.  A 


THE  MAKERS.  87 

supreme  judge  and  a  district  judge,  on  the  inaugura- 
tion of  that  State,  each  an  itinerant.  One  was  Philip 
Gatch,  who  had  lost  an  eye  by  persecution.  Bishop 
Coke,  a  Doctor  of  Civil  Laws  from  Oxford,  misled  by 
their  homespun  suits  in  thinking  them  common  men, 
was  so  surprised  on  hearing  them  preach  that  he 
exclaimed  in  his  impetuous  manner,  "  I  can't  preach 
a  bit,  I  can't  preach  a  bit !  "  So  in  debate,  it  was  the 
wrestling  of  giants — nothing  new  has  been  added  to 
their  arguments.  Their  code,  government,  customs 
make  clear  the  legislators  were  wise.  They  had 
pathos,  humor,  and  wit.  Lee  was  the  Sidney  Smith 
of  the  itinerancy — quick  at  repartee.  They  could 
terrify  as  well  as  win.  They  shook  one  world  with 
the  thunders  of  another.  When  a  pioneer  preacher 
of  that  epoch  spoke  to  the  people  it  soon  became 
"  very  tempestuous  around  about." 

The  displays  of  their  spiritual  and  mental  force 
are  marvels.  As  Josiah  Everett,  of  Virginia,  began 
his  services  a  thunder-cloud  approached.  He  prayed 
for  it  to  come  nearer.  It  roared.  "  O  Lord,  nearer 
and  nearer."  The  house  blazed  with  electric  flame. 
There  was  a  great  outcry  for  mercy.  One  of  the 
scared  sinners  applied  to  a  magistrate  to  restrain 
Everett.  "  If  he  had  asked  a  third  time,  there  would 
not  have  been  one  of  us  alive."  The  squire  was  shy 
of  such  a  master  of  such  a  weapon. 

In  1787  the  converts  in  Sussex  were  sixteen 
hundred;  in  Brunswick,  eighteen  hundred;  Amelia, 
eight  hundred.  Audiences  of  five  thousand  to  ten 


88  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

thousand  assembled  to  hear  these  apostles.  At  two 
camp-meetings  on  the  Eastern  Shore  there  were  two 
thousand  converts.  Rev.  Jacob  Kobler,  of  Freder- 
icksburg,  pioneer  to  Ohio,  could  count  only  twenty- 
five  Methodists  in  the  State.  In  less  than  forty  years 
there  were  one  hundred  thousand.  A  log  meeting- 
house on  Sam's  Creek  in  Maryland  was  the  beginning 
of  American  Methodism.  Strawbridge,  an  Irish 
preacher,  was  the  single  apostle  to  the  continent. 
In  1899  the  Methodists  are  millions.  Their  ad- 
herents number  every  third  citizen. 

The  other  churches  had  the  start  of  the  Methodists. 
The  Baptist  began  in  1638;  the  Presbyterian  in  1684; 
the  Episcopal  in  1600.  The  Methodists  organized  in 
1784.  The  census  shows  that  our  church  numbers 
one  million  and  a  half  more  than  the  regular  Baptists, 
three  millions  more  than  the  Presbyterian  and  three 
and  three-quarter  millions  in  excess  of  the  Episco- 
palian. These  denominations  were  working  two 
hundred,  one  hundred  and  fifty,  and  one  hundred 
years  before  we  began.  In  1784  we  had  no  college; 
now,  three  hundred. 

Nothing  could  withstand  the  "  thundering  legion  " 
on  horseback.  The  proud  were  humbled;  the  scoffer 
fell  flat  and  howled  in  horror.  Jesse  Lee  records 
scenes  of  interest.  "  Here  were  many  of  the  first 
quality  in  the  country  wallowing  in  the  dust,  with 
their  silks,  broadcloth,  powdered  heads,  rings  and 
ruffles.  And  some  of  them  so  convulsed  they  could 
neither  speak  nor  stir."  At  another  revival  he 


THE  MAKERS.  89 

reports  that  the  "  roarings  could  be  heard  over  a 
mile  " — such  the  loud  cries  for  mercy.  A  "  Baptist 
came  in  the  church  to  bring  out  his  sister  before  she 
'  disgraced  herself.'  He  fell  down  and  began  to 
cry  out,  '  Save  or  I  sink  into  hell.' '  A  gang  of 
mockers  remained  near  the  church  during  a  revival. 
One  went  to  report.  He  tumbled  to  the  earth  and 
yelled  for  the  prayers  of  the  Christians.  A  doctor 
fetched  a  vial  of  hartshorn  to  relieve  a  penitent.  He 
and  his  liquid  medicine  rolled  over  on  the  floor  while 
he  set  up  a  clamor  for  pardon  and  pity.  Under  the 
preaching  of  men  like  Benjamin  Abbott  hundreds 
fell  prostrate.  Southey  says  Abbott  not  only  threw 
his  hearer  into  fits,  but  fainted  himself.  "  The  people 
screamed  and  clung  to  each  other "  while  Abbott 
preached  during  a  storm.  At  a  camp-meeting  in 
Kentucky  three  thousand  were  struck  down.  It 
was  a  common  event  for  the  "  floor  and  the  yard  "  to 
be  used  to  "  lay  out "  the  stricken  sinners.  The 
scornful  infidel,  the  loud  ranter  against  religion, 
equally  with  the  plain  people,  went  down  before  the 
mighty  power  of  God. 

A  band  of  young  men,  chiefly  from  the  agricultural 
class  (Virginia  contributing  many  notable  ones), 
attempt  to  evangelize  a  continent  of  commonwealths. 
Infidelity  in  high  places  ricidule  them.  The  priests 
and  the  people  oppose.  The  long  distances  and  bad 
roads  hinder.  The  preachers  are  poor.  A  war  rages 
in  the  civilized  sections  and  bloody  barbarians  murder 
families  on  the  frontier.  Paul,  confronted  with  such 


90  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

difficulties,  might  have  cried  out,  "  Who  is  sufficient 
for  these  things?  " 

May  it  not  be  said  that  Asbury,  Lee,  Garrettson, 
Dickens,  McKendree,  Drumgoole,  McHenry,  Poy- 
thress  and  their  colaborers  fertilized  the  statesman- 
ship of  Madison,  Hamilton,  Jefferson.  America  with- 
out Methodism  could  not  have  been  the  Republic 
of  1899.  Greece  had  leaders  without  peers  in  the 
past  or  present,  but  the  Hellenes  never  had  a  suffi- 
cient moral  soil  to  grow  a  great  nation,  free  from 
factions  and  internecine  strife. 

The  men  that  seeded  down  the  people  with  godli- 
ness at  this  juncture  deserve  well  of  the  Republic. 

So  severe  was  the  service  that  in  a  few  years  the 
young  men  had  a  weather-beaten  look.  They  died 
early.  Exposure,  bad  fare,  ceaseless  exertions  under- 
mined health.  We  have  meagre  memoranda  of  their 
lives.  Their  works  and  wonders  measure  the  men 
for  eye  of  posterity.  A  controlling  aim  absorbed  their 
attention  and  commanded  their  lives — saving  men. 
They  did  not  wait  for  a  "  call,"  or  chaffer  about 
salary.  They  went  where  needed,  hailing  men  to  a 
better  life,  under  a  tree,  in  a  barn,  in  a  court-house. 
While  one  spoke  the  words  of  this  life  in  Richmond, 
Boston,  Charleston,  another  was  following  a  trail, 
yet  red  with  blood  of  butchered  travellers  by  the 
"  Hazzle  Patch  "  and  "  Crab  Orchard,"  to  the  set- 
tlement in  Kentucky,  where  Tory,  murderer,  bandit 
had  fled  to  escape  the  law.  In  the  wigwam  of  the 
savage,  the  hut  of  the  slave,  in  the  hall  of  the  planter, 
the  voice  of  the  missionary  was  heard. 


THE  MAKERS.  91 

One  circuit  embraced  an  entire  State.  In  Virginia 
a  single  charge  took  in  fourteen  counties  in  this 
Commonwealth  and  two  across  the  Roanoke.  Lee 
weighed  250  pounds,  yet  rode  the  United  States  on 
horseback,  delivering  270  sermons  a  year.  Asbury 
called  him  "  steel."  Bishop  McKendree,  after  forty 
years  of  touring  throughout  the  whole  nation,  con- 
tinued to  journey  through  mud  and  over  mountains, 
though  "  afflicted  with  rheumatism,  piles,  hernia, 
vertigo,  asthma."  The  older  Bishop,  Asbury,  is  de- 
scribed as  he  reached  Baltimore :  "  Mr.  Asbury  came 
into  the  city  wrapped  up  in  a  blanket  and  habited 
like  an  Indian,  with  his  clothes  worn  out."  Behold 
the  state  and  circumstance  of  this  chief  of  the  Church. 
The  Archbishop  of  York,  in  his  palace,  with  pay 
of  $75,000  per  annum,  could  see  nothing  apostolic 
in  this  "  Paul,  the  aged."  There  is  an  incident  in 
his  journal  that  tells  how  absorbed  he  was  in  his 
one  task.  In  the  three  volumes  there  is  no  mention 
of  the  battles  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  nor  of  the 
organization  of  the  Continental  Congress,  not  even 
an  allusion  to  the  Declaration  of  Independence! 
Such  was  Asbury.  Jesse  Lee  was  only  second  to 
him,  if  second  at  all.  Lee  tied  in  the  ballot  for  the 
bishopric  Mr.  Whatcoat.  Defeated,  as  Lee  was,  by 
the  base  influence  and  infamous  deed  of  a  man  who 
soon  "  took  orders,"  detected  after  the  election,  yet 
he  preached  at  dawn  at  the  market-house  in  Balti- 
more next  morning,  with  an  unction  and  eloquence 
above  any  minister  at  the  General  Conference,  and 


92  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

he  records  the  sessions  as  sweetest  seasons  of  love 
and  divine  joy.  Such  was  the  spirit  of  the  leaders. 

Seldom  does  sculptured  stone  mark  the  dust  of  in- 
trepid heroes  that  made  Methodism.  The  Church 
itself  is  their  monument.  The  building  is  the  silent 
eulogy  of  the  architect.  Institutions  portray  the  men 
of  valor  that  created  them.  The  mighty  spirits  of 
that  epochal  period  are  the  giant  mould  in  which 
Methodism  was  cast  and  fashioned.  Our  grand  sys- 
tem is  the  lengthened  shadow  of  its  founders.  Where 
a  baronial  home  is  built  of  a  single  tree  we  know  it  is 
a  Red-Wood  of  the  Sierras. 

It  is  a  law  of  life  that  victories  are  achieved  only 
at  personal  cost.  The  harvest  follows  when  men  "  go 
forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed."  Christianity 
has  its  roots  in  the  earth,  fattened  by  the  blood  of 
martyrs.  Methodism  had  birth  from  the  loins  of 
heroes.  Let  us  salute  their  memory. 


II. 

GEORGE    FERGUSSON,    SAMUEL    PUTNEY 
AND  WILLIAM  WILLIS. 

BY  THE  REV.  JAMES  C.  REED. 

The  stability  and  perpetuity  of  a  building  depend 
upon  the  foundation  and  the  character  of  the  material 
used  in  the  laying  of  the  foundation.  If  the  founda- 
tion be  laid  upon  the  rock,  and  the  material  used  in 
laying  it  be  stones  true  and  tried,  then  neither 
descending  rain,  nor  rushing  flood,  nor  winds  that 
blow  however  fierce  and  strong,  shall  cause  that 
house  to  fall. 

The  church  is  founded  on  the  Rock,  Christ  Jesus. 
"  Upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  church;  and  the 
gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it."  "  For  other 
foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is 
Jesus  Christ."  The  stones  which  go  into  this  spiri- 
tual temple  of  God,  from  foundation  to  topmost 
turret,  are  men  redeemed  and  washed  in  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus.  "  Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built 
up  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy  priesthood,  to  offer 
up  spiritual  sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ."  (I  Peter  2 :  5.)  "  And  are  built  upon  the 
foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ 

[93] 


94  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

himself  being  the  chief  corner  stone;  in  whom  all 
the  building  fitly  framed  together,  groweth  unto  an 
holy  temple  in  the  Lord;  in  whom  ye  also  are  builded 
together  for  an  habitation  of  God  through  the  spirit." 
(Eph.  2 :  20-22.)  Such  were  the  men  who  began  the 
work  of  Methodism  in  Richmond  and  laid  the  foun- 
dations. They  were  soundly  converted  men.  Their 
feet,  as  they  so  often  sung,  had  been  taken  from  the 
miry  clay  and  placed  upon  the  Rock  of  Ages.  They 
knew  whom  they  had  believed.  The  Spirit  of  God  had 
written  his  pardon  "  in  fleshy  tables  of  the  heart " 
and  they  became  living  epistles  "  known  and  read  of 
all  men." 

Among  those  who  took  an  active  part  in  the 
beginning  of  Methodism  in  this  city,  I  am  permitted 
to  speak  at  this  hour  of  George  Fergusson,  Samuel 
Putney  and  William  Willis.  These  men  of  God, 
and  of  the  olden  times,  filled  well  their  places  as 
"  lively  stones  "  in  the  laying  of  the  foundations  of 
the  Methodist  Church  in  the  capital  of  the  Old 
Dominion.  Their  bodies  have  long  since  mouldered 
into  dust,  but  the  spiritual  influence  of  their  con- 
secrated hearts  and  holy  lives,  still  lives  and  will 
continue  to  live  in  the  Methodism  of  this  city,  until 
God's  great  spiritual  temple  shall  be  completed  and 
"  the  headstone  be  laid  with  shoutings,  crying  Grace, 
grace  unto  it."  Each  of  these  present  to  us  a  peculiar 
phase  or  characteristic  of  Methodist  experience  and 
work  in  their  day.  It  is  to  be  exceedingly  regretted 
that  such  scant  memorabilia  should  be  left  of  the  lives 


THE  MAKERS.  96 

of  men  so  potent  for  good.  The  characteristic  which 
will  be  mentioned  as  discriptive  of  each  was  in  a  large 
measure  possessed  and  illustrated  by  all,  and  it  is 
hard  to  decide  in  which  department  each  excelled, 
where  all  were  so  gifted,  active,  and  useful. 

GEORGE  FERGUSSON,  the  eldest  of  this  triumviri, 
was  born  January  22,  1795,  and  died  September 
20,  1864,  aged  sixty-nine  years.  Within  these  dates 
are  enclosed  a  long  and  useful  life.  A  member 
of  the  first  Trinity  Church  for  many  years,  he  subse- 
quently held  his  membership  at  Union  Station. 
His  funeral  sermon  was  preached  in  that  church  by 
Dr.  W.  W.  Bennett.  His  son,  John  W.  Fergusson, 
is  an  honored  member  and  steward  of  Trinity  Church 
to-day. 

Brother  George  Fergusson  may  well  stand  as  a 
type  of  the  old  time  Methodist  singer.  He  was  of 
a  fervent  temperament  and  the  fervor  and  glow  of 
his  spirit  found  expression  in  sacred  song.  It  is 
true  that  he  was  a  class-leader  and  a  steward,  and 
filled  well  these  offices  in  the  church;  a  man  also  of 
power  in  prayer;  but  he  was  especially  gifted  in  song. 
The  hymns  of  Charles  Wesley  fitted  well  his  lips,  and 
expressed  the  experiences  of  his  fervent  soul.  The 
early  Methodists  sang  much  and  well.  John  Wesley 
gave  much  attention  to  this  handmaid  of  religion. 
Wesley  himself  was  no  mean  poet  and  musician,  and 
his  people  are  noted  for  their  eminent  musical  skill 
to  this  day;  but  the  lips  and  soul  of  his  brother 
Charles  were  touched  with  a  coal  from  the  altar  of 


96  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

God  for  this  peculiar  service.  The  old  time  Metho- 
dists sang  well,  because  they  sang  with  the  Spirit 
and  with  the  understanding.  They  may  have  oc- 
casionally slipped  up  on  a  flat,  and  in  turning  the 
tune  knocked  off  the  corner  of  a  sharp,  but  the 
singing  was  not  flat,  and  its  divine  power  was 
"  sharper  than  a  two-edged  sword  "  to  penetrate  the 
hearts  of  men  and  turn  them  to  God. 

The  hymns  of  Charles  Wesley  are  the  best  the 
world  ever  saw.  They  are  the  best  of  poetry — 
thoroughly  scriptural',  and  expressing  the  feelings  of 
the  human  soul  in  all  of  its  varied  experiences.  As 
Abel  Stevens  has  well  said,  "  They  march  at  times, 
like  lengthened  processions  with  solemn  grandeur; 
they  sweep  at  other  times  like  chariots  of  fire  through 
the  heavens;  they  are  broken  like  the  sobs  of  grief  at 
the  grave  side,  and  play  like  the  joyful  affection  of 
childhood  at  the  hearth,  or  shout  like  victors  in  the 
fray  of  battle." 

SAMUEL  PUTNEY  stand*  before  us  as  a  type  of  the 
old  time  Methodist  class-leader.  A  fatherless  boy, 
seventeen  years  of  age,  was  walking  down  Franklin 
street  in  this  city  one  Sabbath  morning  in  May,  1818, 
and  making  enquiries  for  a  place  of  worship.  He 
was  directed  to  the  corner  of  Nineteenth  and  Frank- 
lin streets,  and  on  entering  the  church  found  himself 
in  an  old-fashioned  Methodist  class-meeting,  and  was 
at  home.  That  fatherless  boy  was  Samuel  Putney. 
He  was  born  near  Boston,  Mass.,  August,  1801,  and 
came  to  Richmond  in  May,  1818,  and  died  April  28, 


SAMUEL  PUTNEY. 


THE  MAKERS.  97 

1880.     The  following  facts  and  quotations  are  taken 
from  a  sketch  written  by  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards : 

"  Mr.  Putney  lost  his  father  by  death  when  he  was 
a  mere  child.  He  was  thrown  upon  his  own  re- 
sources while  yet  a  boy.  By  what  he  regarded  as  a 
providential  opening  he  was  invited  to  a  business 
house  in  Richmond  when  he  was  but  seventeen  years 
of  age.  Self-reliant  and  trusting  in  God,  he  left 
his  home,  his  mother,  his  associates  and  friends,  and 
came  to  Richmond,  where  he  landed,  May,  1818,  and 
commenced  his  business  life  in  a  merchantile  shoe 
store  on  Main  street. 

"  His  early  religious  training  had  been  under  the 
ministry  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Emmerson  of  the  Con- 
gregational denomination.  When  but  thirteen  years 
of  age  he  became  shocked  and  offended  by  the 
doctrines  he  heard  from  the  pulpit,  touching  the 
possible  damnation  of  infants.  He  forsook  that 
Church,  walked  Sunday  after  Sunday  three  or  four 
miles  to  a  Methodist  Church,  professed  conversion 
at  that  early  age,  joined  the  Methodist  Church,  and 
brought  his  certificate  of  Church  membership  with 
him,  which  he  deposited  the  Sunday  after  his  arrival 
with  the  only  Methodist  Church  then  in  Richmond, 
located  at  the  corner  of  what  is  now  Nineteenth  and 
Franklin  streets.  He  at  once  joined  the  Sunday 
School  (which  had  been  organized  by  Miss  Polly 
Bowles)  and  was  soon  taking  an  active  interest  in 
the  work  of  the  Church." 

As  a  man  of  business  Samuel  Putney  took  high 
7 


98  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

rank.  Dr.  Edwards,  in  describing  him  as  a  man 
of  business,  says :  "  Mr.  Putney's  firm  and  unshaken 
adherence  to  principles  of  rectitude,  honesty  and 
integrity  laid  the  foundation  of  his  business  success." 
"  He  amassed  a  fortune,  and  at  the  commencement 
of  the  late  Civil  War  retired  from  active  business 
with  an  ample  competency  for  the  future  of  his  life." 

"  He  was  gentle,  courteous  in  his  manner;  warm 
and  sympathetic  in  impulses.  His  hospitality  un- 
bounded, his  charity  to  the  poor  unstinted,  and  his 
liberality  to  the  Church — its  enterprises  and  bene- 
volent objects — munificent  and  princely.  In  the 
course  of  his  long  connection  with  the  Church  in 
Richmond,  he  saw  all  of  the  houses  of  worship 
now  occupied  by  the  Methodists  erected;  and  was  a 
liberal  contributor  to  them  all."  He  was  the  next  to 
the  largest  contributor  to  the  erection  of  Broad 
Street  Church.  "  One  of  the  last  acts  of  his  life  was 
to  reslate  the  roof  and  reconstruct  the  steeple  of 
Broad  Street  Church,  at  a  personal  cost  of  $3,000." 

He  was  never  absent,  unless  providentially  hin- 
dered, from  the  public  services  of  the  sanctuary.  "The 
Wednesday-night  lecture  and  Friday-night  prayer- 
meeting  always  found  him  present.  He  attended 
the  official  meetings  of  the  church  with  a  punctuality 
which  never  wavered.  In  all  his  Christian  duties  he 
was  a  model." 

Samuel  Putney  was  early  in  life  made  a  class-leader. 
In  this  means  of  grace  he  excelled,  and  became  a 
helper  to  many  a  doubting  and  sorely  tried  child  of 


THE  MAKERS.  99 

God.  He  had  an  experience  of  divine  grace  in  his 
own  heart  and  knew  how  to  lead  the  troubled  soul 
out  of  darkness  into  light. 

The  old  time  Methodists  believed  in,  sought  and 
obtained  the  conscious  assurance  of  pardoned  sin. 
They  believed  that  men  in  this  life  might  be  saved  from 
sin  and  have  the  witness  of  the  Holy  Ghost  attesting 
the  fact  of  their  salvation.  This  was  not  the  prevail- 
ing belief  of  those  by  whom  they  were  surrounded. 
The  popular  teaching  in  that  day  ran  somewhat  on 
this  wise:  "If  you  seek  religion  you  won't  find  it; 
if  you  find  it,  you  won't  know  it;  if  you  know  it,  you 
haven't  got  it;  if  you  get  it,  you  can't  lose  it;  if  you 
lose  it,  you  never  had  it."  The  teaching  of  the 
Methodists  ran  quite  the  reverse :  "  If  you  seek  reli- 
gion, you  will  find  it;  if  you  find  it,  you  will  know  it; 
if  you  know  it,  you  have  got  it;  if  you  get  it,  you  may 
lose  it;  if  you  lose  it,  you  must  have  had  it."  The 
class-meeting  was  a  means  of  grace  to  bring  men  to 
a  conscious  knowledge  of  sins  forgiven,  and  then  to 
help  them  keep  the  blessed  assurance,  and  grow  in 
the  grace  and  knowledge  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Samuel  Putney,  though  a  man  of  large  business 
cares,  was  never  too  busy  to  leave  his  temporal  busi- 
ness in  the  daytime,  and  with  a  glad  heart  go  to  meet 
his  class  and  talk  of  heavenly  things.  Diligent  in 
business,  he  was  also  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the 
Lord. 

WILLIAM  WILLIS  stands  before  us  as  a  man  of 
great  power  in  prayer.  He  was  born  in  Henrico 


100  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

County  February  5,  1802,  and  died  in  this  city  March 
17,  1872.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  Bread  Street  Church,  and  his  funeral  services 
were  held  in  that  church,  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards 
preaching  the  sermon.  In  a  sketch  by  Dr.  Edwards, 
written  shortly  afterwards,  we  find  the  following  faith- 
ful portraiture  of  this  man  of  God: 

As  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  probity  and  honor, 
he  had  no  superiors,  and  but  too  few  equals.  He 
was  loved,  honored  and  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him.  He  professed  conversion  under  the  ministry 
of  Rev.  Joseph  Carson  in  the  great  revival  in  the  old 
Methodist  Church  in  Richmond  in  1826,  joined  the 
church,  was  class-leader,  steward,  recording  steward, 
Sunday  school  superintendent — filling  every  position 
with  honor  and  credit  to  himself,  and  profit  to  the 
church.  He  was  a  decided  Methodist,  but  no  bigot. 
He  was  an  eminent  Christian,  uniform,  quiet,  con- 
sistent. His  life  and  conversation  commanded  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  all  who  were  brought  in 
association  with  him.  Take  him  all  in  all  we  shall 
rarely  look  upon  his  like  again.  One  who  knew  him 
long  and  intimately  remarked  that  "  he  never  knew 
him  to  utter  an  indiscreet  word.  He  loved  his 
church.  He  was  eloquent  and  powerful  in  prayer." 

The  Methodists  of  the  olden  times  believed  in 
prayer  and  lived  much  on  their  knees.  They  had 
their  places  of  prayer  and  times  for  prayer  and  they 
allowed  nothing  to  hinder  their  approaches  to  the 
throne  of  grace.  They  heard  the  voice  of  their 


THE  MAKERS.  101 

divine  Lord  saying,  "  But  thou,  when  thou  prayest, 
enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  thy 
door,  pray  to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret;  and  thy 
Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee  openly." 
The  secret  place  of  prayer  heard  their  cries  and 
groans,  and  they  came  forth  having  power  with  God 
and  prevailing  with  man.  Whose  heart  has  not  been 
thrilled  during  this  Centennial  by  Dr.  Brown's  de- 
scription of  that  scene  at  the  last  service  in  Old 
Trinity,  when  William  Willis  prayed  for  a  former 
pastor  who  had  fallen  astray? 

Has  the  Church  lost  the  power  of  prevailing 
prayer?  If  we  lived  to-day  as  much  on  our  knees  as 
did  the  old  Methodist  fathers  would  not  the  same 
mighty  results  that  followed  their  labors  follow  ours? 

Oh,  for  more  men  like  George  Fergusson,  Samuel 
Putney  and  William  Willis  in  this  our  day! 


III. 

THE  REV.  PHILIP  COURTNEY. 


Probably  no  man  did  more  for  Methodism  in 
Richmond  at  the  beginning  than  the  Rev.  Philip 
Courtney,  for  more  than  sixty  years  an  honored  local 
preacher  in  our  church.  He  was  born  in  the  county 
of  King  and  Queen  December  19,  1779.  In  1786 
his  father,  who  was  a  Baptist  minister,  moved  with 
his  family  to  New  Kent  where  they  lived  seven  years. 
Here  Philip,  to  use  his  own  language,  enjoyed  the 
advantages  of  an  old  field  school,  where  in  three  years 
he  learned  all  that  the  master  could  teach.  After 
leaving  school  he  worked  on  the  farm  until  1795, 
when  the  family  moved  to  Richmond.  As  a  youth 
he  always  had  an  eager  desire  for  an  education,  but 
his  circumstances  in  life  were  not  favorable,  and  after 
many  efforts  to  obtain  a  position  favorable  to  his 
intellectual  advancement  he  resigned  himself  to  learn 
a  trade  and  entered  the  service  of  a  tailor  for  that 
purpose.  While  thus  engaged  his  chief  delight  was 
in  reading,  and  having  a  retentive  memory  he  derived 
great  advantage,  as  he  tells  us,  from  spending  his 
leisure  moments  in  this  manner.  He  was  married  in 
1799.  About  this  time  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  was  organized  in  Richmond  under  the  pas- 

[102] 


THE  MAKERS.  103 

toral  care  of  Rev.  Thomas  Lyell,  then  of  the  Balti- 
more Conference.  The  preaching  of  the  Methodists 
soon  attracted  Mr.  Courtney  and  in  1800  he  and  his 
wife  were  converted  and  joined  the  church.  He  at 
once  took  an  active  part  in  church  work,  was  ap- 
pointed a  class  leader,  made  himself  useful  as  an 
exhort er,  and  in  1809  was  licensed  to  preach.  In 
1816  he  was  ordained  deacon  by  Bishop  McKendree 
and  elder  four  years  afterward  by  Bishop  George.  In 
1822  he  was  elected  manager  of  the  Bible  Society 
of  Virginia,  and  in  1825  became  principal  of  the  male 
department  of  the  Lancasterian  School  of  Richmond. 
He  continued  in  this  position  until  1846  when  he  was 
transferred  to  the  female  department,  over  which  he 
presided  the  remainder  of  his  life.  For  many  years 
he  was  president  of  the  Bible  Society  of  Virginia. 
It  is  said  that  his  manners  were  exceedingly  affable 
and  pleasing,  and  that  his  whole  bearing  was  gentle 
and  courteous. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  Septem- 
ber 10,  1865,  he  was  verging  on  ninety  years  of  age; 
but  until  he  had  long  passed  fourscore  years,  he  had 
retained  his  vigor  and  elasticity  of  body  and  mind 
in  an  extraordinary  degree.  Through  all  his  long 
life  he  enjoyed,  without  interruption,  the  confidence, 
respect  and  affection  of  as  large  a  portion  of  the 
citizens  as  any  man  that  ever  lived  in  the  city.  As 
long  as  he  was  able  to  stand  up  in  the  pulpit,  he 
continued,  as  opportunity  presented,  to  preach  the 
gospel.  In  an  appreciative  sketch  of  his  life  the 


104  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

"  Episcopal  Methodist "  described  him  as  animated, 
earnest  and  spiritual  in  his  ministrations.  He  never 
grew  stale,  but  to  the  last  was  heard  by  those  who 
had  heard  him  all  their  lives,  with  unabated  interest, 
profit  and  pleasure.  He  was  a  man  of  a  high  grade 
of  piety.  His  life  was  almost  faultless;  his  career 
unsullied.  As  a  preacher,  and  as  a  teacher,  he  pre- 
served a  spotless  and  unblemished  reputation.  His 
conversational  powers  were  singularly  fine.  He 
possessed  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  good  humor 
and  a  fund  of  pleasing  anecdote,  which,  together 
with  the  treasures  of  a  remarkable  memory,  made  him 
a  delightful  companion  for  the  passing  hour  in  what- 
ever circle  he  might  be  thrown.  He  was  a  man  of 
excellent  spirit,  faithful  in  all  the  relations  of  life, 
full  of  zeal  for  the  work  of  the  Lord  and  eminently 
useful  in  his  day  and  generation. 


WILLIAM  ALLISON. 


IV. 
WILLIAM  ALLISON. 

BY   WILLIAM    G.    STARR,    D.    D. 

An  epoch  is  impossible  as  a  distinct  space  in 
history,  if  we  leave  out  the  men  who  made  it  memo- 
rable by  their  presence  and  their  work. 

A  church  on  earth  is  a  congregation  of  souls,  but 
the  construction  of  such  an  organization  is  dependent 
upon  the  wisdom  and  skill  of  some  master-builder. 

The  gathering  of  assemblies  and  the  erection  of 
buildings  for  public  worship  among  the  early  Metho- 
dists in  America,  developed  heroic  leaders — men  of 
large  mental  calibre  and  of  imperial  character.  Their 
names  may  not  have  been  heralded  at  the  time;  their 
humility  may  have  intercepted  honorable  mention 
of  their  far-reaching  plans  as  a  part  of  the  elect  iorces 
then  at  work,  but  the  results  of  their  patient  toil  will 
ever  remain  as  an  abiding  influence  among  the  people 
of  God. 

On  the  roll  of  loyal  men  who  took  part  in  the 
establishment  of  Methodism  in  Richmond,  we  find 
the  name  of  William  Allison. 

He  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  evidently  descended 
from  Scotch-English  stock,  as  the  family  name  would 
indicate.  His  ancestors  bequeathed  to  him  the  in- 
valuable legacy  of  both  physical  and  mental  strength, 

[105] 


106  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

and  when  he  came  from  Alexandria  to  Richmond  as 
the  representative  of  an  important  commercial  en- 
terprise, he  at  once  began  to  impress  both  the  busi- 
ness and  the  religious  community  around  him  with 
the  trustworthiness  of  his  opinions,  and  the  wonderful 
individuality  of  the  man  in  public  life. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  first  "  Trinity  Church  in 
the  Valley,"  and  was  a  trustee  of  the  new  church, 
which  was  erected  in  1828,  near  the  corner  of  Four- 
teenth and  Franklin  streets. 

Loyal  and  helpful  to  its  membership  and  its  benev- 
olent work,  he  remained  in  fellowship  with  the 
Trinity  congregation  until  the  close  of  his  life.  He 
died  in  1850,  and  was  buried  from  Trinity  Church. 

We  are  not  dependent  upon  tradition  for  infor- 
mation relating  to  the  useful  career  of  this  noble 
man  of  God. 

It  was  upon  the  Atlantic  ocean,  while  crossing 
over  to  make  his  future  home  in  America,  that  the 
young  traveler  gave  his  heart  to  God.  The  hardships 
of  the  voyage,  which  included  six  weeks,  were  made 
memorable  by  peril  and  privation.  The  value  of 
life — the  danger  of  losing  it — and  the  duty  of  conse- 
crating it  to  God,  seemed  to  have  wrought  a  revolu- 
tion in  his  methods  of  thought,  and  he  sought  in 
prayer  the  blessed  opportunity  of  dedicating  soul  and 
body  to  the  great  Saviour  of  the  world.  He  never 
regretted  that  step  voluntarily  taken  away  out  at  sea, 
with  none  save  God  to  hear  his  plea  for  safety. 

In  the  luggage  of  young  Allison  was  a  little  Bible, 


THE  MAKERS.  iai 

which  was  printed  in  London,  in  1795,  and  bought 
by  him  in  the  year  1800.  It  was  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen that  he  left  home.  Many  equally  as  intrepid  and 
enterprising  youths,  coming  away  frpm  the  old  home- 
stead, would  not  have  thought  of  the  Word  of  God 
as  an  indispensable  part  of  a  personal  outfit,  when  the 
baggage  was  all  ready  to  be  shipped  to  the  deck  of 
the  waiting  craft  in  the  harbor.  That  book  was  to 
be  the  pilgrim  staff  of  that  young  man  in  his  new 
home  away  over  the  briny  deep,  and  he  was  careful 
to  keep  it  in  easy  reach  of  both  hand  and  heart.  He 
read  its  tidings  of  "  good  news  from  a  far  country  "; 
and  its  lessons  of  divine  truth  opened  the  way  to  the 
auspicious  place  and  hour  when,  at  sea,  he  "  found 
peace  in  believing,"  and  registered  his  citizenship 
in  heaven.  That  Bible  became  the  property  of  one 
of  his  daughters,  and  her  children  still  treasure  it  as 
a  priceless  legacy — an  heirloom  in  safe-keeping  under 
the  roof  of  a  Christian  home. 

His  first  resting-place  upon  the  soil  of  Virginia 
was,  as  I  have  already  intimated,  the  city  of  Alex- 
andria. From  that  point  he  came  to  Richmond  in 
the  year  1814. 

To  his  credit  let  it  be  spoken  and  written,  that 
although  his  genius  for  business  life  led  to  the  largest 
success,  and  secured  for  him  an  ample  fortune,  he 
never  permitted  secular  interests,  no  matter  how 
valuable  and  important,  to  interfere  with  his  religious 
duties  as  a  servant  of  God  in  the  Methodist  Church. 
There  were  local  attractions  to  tempt  the  young  at 


108  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

that  remote  day,  but  his  principles  were  too  firmly 
fixed  to  be  moved,  and  his  will  too  inflexible  to  be 
bent  out  of  harmony  with  the  general  tenor  of  his 
life. 

At  one  time  he  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  by  the 
will  of  the  people,  but  political  engagements  at  that 
early  period  in  the  history  of  the  republic  did  not 
require  the  sacrifice  of  conscience  and  character  to 
achieve  party  success.  While  in  office  he  maintained 
an  even  temper  of  mind,  and,  when  released  from  the 
responsibilities  of  his  position,  he  retired  from  the 
post  of  honor  with  an  untarnished  reputation. 

His  generosity  of  soul  led  him  to  perform  many 
acts  of  Christian  beneficence.  The  poor  always  found 
in  him  a  friend  upon  whom  they  could  rely  in  time  of 
trouble.  He  loved  to  give.  He  helped  a  number  of 
young  men  to  start  in  business.  His  brother  mer- 
chants were  frequently  indebted  to  him  for  financial 
favors,  which  enabled  them  to  tide  over  the  em- 
barrassments of  a  stringent  money  market.  He  paid 
numerous  security  debts  amounting  to  $100,000. 
Overcoming  every  reverse  with  a  most  wonderful 
recuperative  energy,  he  left  a  large  estate  as  one  of 
the  results  of  his  life-long  work. 

He  loved  his  church.  His  house  was  the  home  of 
the  Methodist  preacher,  and  the  humblest  itinerant 
always  found  a  cordial  welcome  awaiting  him  at  the 
front  door.  He  was  never  so  happy  as  when  enter- 
taining the  prophets  of  God,  or  listening  reverently 
to  the  message  of  salvation  from  their  lips  in  the 
sanctuary. 


THE  MAKERS.  109 

He  was  largely  instrumental  in  the  erection  of  the 
second  Trinity  in  1828,  and  in  the  restoration  of  the 
building  in  1837.  When  the  edifice  was  complete, 
he  kindly  donated  a  bond  of  $500,  which  he  held 
against  the  trustees  of  the  church,  who  had  borrowed 
that  amount  to  assist  in  paying  for  the  construction 
of  the  sacred  edifice. 

He  married  Miss  Ann  Waters,  a  beautiful  and 
cultured  Christian  woman.  To  the  wedded  pair  the 
Lord  gave  thirteen  children,  five  of  whom  were  living 
at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1850.  His  wife  survived 
him,  and  the  casket  which  contained  her  mortal  re- 
mains was  the  last  to  be  borne  from  the  doorway  of 
"  Old  Trinity  "  in  the  year  1861,  shortly  before  the 
transfer  of  the  congregation  to  their  new  temple  of 
worship,  on  the  corner  of  Twentieth  and  Broad 
streets. 

His  portrait  may  be  found  in  the  residence  of  his 
son,  Capt.  William  H.  Allison,  on  West  Franklin 
street  in  this  city.  It  represents  a  manly  figure  with 
a  broad  brow,  a  firm  mouth,  and  a  twinkling  eye, 
radiant  with  gentleness  and  good  humor.  The  por- 
trait of  his  wife  reveals  a  lovely  face  with  a  cast  of 
countenance  indicative  of  a  charitable  soul  and  a 
lofty  elevation  of  character.  It  is  not  strange  that 
they  should  have  wielded  a  wide  social  influence,  and 
impressed  their  friends  and  neighbors  with  respect 
and  reverence  for  the  church  of  God. 

It  was  Lord  Chesterfield  who  said :  "  Those  who 
in  the  common  course  of  the  world,  will  call  them- 


110  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

selves  your  friends;  or  whom,  according  to  the 
common  notions  of  friendship,  you  may  probably 
think  such,  will  never  tell  you  of  your  faults.  But,  on 
the  contrary,  more  desirous  to  make  you  their  friend 
than  to  prove  their  friendship  for  you,  they  patronize 
your  follies  in  order  to  use  you."  William  Allison 
was  not  that  kind  of  a  friend.  He  attracted  true 
hearts,  and  was  careful  to  live  so  that  no  one  could 
question  his  sincerity,  or  doubt  for  a  moment  that 
his  word  was  pure  gold.  This  is  the  reason  why  his 
business  relations  with  his  fellow-merchants  never 
resulted  in  even  a  temporary  estrangement. 

His  personal  income  grew  steadily,  not  by  specula- 
tion, but  by  the  use  of  just  such  sound  judgment  as 
that  for  which  Benjamin  Franklin  contended  when 
he  wrote :  "  The  way  to  wealth  is  as  plain  as  the  way 
to  market.  It  depends  chiefly  on  two  words,  industry 
and  frugality;  that  is,  waste  neither  time  nor  money, 
but  make  the  best  use  of  both." 

But  it  was  in  the  development  of  his  religious  life 
that  our  sainted  friend  exemplified  most  conspic- 
uously those  traits  of  character  which  made  him  a 
man  worthy*  of  imitation.  The  even  tenor  of  his 
unvarying  loyalty  to  his  church  reminds  one  of  that 
remarkable  declaration  of  Baxter :  "  It  is  one  thing 
to  take  God  and  heaven  for  your  portion,  as  believers 
do;  and  another  thing  to  be  desirous  of  it,  as  a  reserve 
when  you  can  keep  the  world  no  longer.  It  is  one 
thing  to  submit  to  heaven  as  a  lesser  evil  than  hell; 
and  another  thing  to  desire  it  as  a  greater  good  than 


THE  MAKERS.  Ill 

earth.  It  is  one  thing  to  lay  up  treasures  and  hopes 
in  heaven,  and  seek  it  first;  and  another  thing  to  be 
contented  with  it  in  our  necessity,  and  to  seek  the 
world  before  it,  and  give  God  only  what  the  flesh  can 
spare." 

A  servant  of  the  Lord  with  such  a  record  as  our 
departed  friend  and  pioneer  carried  to  heaven  with 
him,  could  never  have  debated  the  propriety  of  self- 
denial  or  self-sacrifice  after  the  consecrated  ear  had 
heard  the  call  of  the  Master.  His  uplifted  example 
ought  to  be  a  stimulus  and  a  blessing  to  the  present 
generation.  Would  that  all  the  Lord's  people  were 
as  willing  to  spend  and  be  spent  for  the  sake  of  that 
Christ  whose  friendship  is  our  only  hope. 


V. 

RICHARD  WHITFIELD. 


Richard  Whitfield  was  born  in  Whitby,  Yorkshire, 
England,  September  12,  1777.  To  a  writer  in  the 
Christian  Advocate  we  are  indebted  for  the  following 
facts  concerning  his  life : 

Deprived  by  death  of  all  his  relatives,  he  attached 
himself  in  youth  to  the  merchant  marine.  The  pre- 
mature discharge  of  a  cannon,  while  firing  a  salute, 
severely  and  permanently  disabling  his  right  hand, 
he  was  led  to  a  total  change  of  his  pursuits.  In  1801 
he  embarked  for  America  and  landed  in  New  York, 
where  he  lived  for  six  years.  In  1807  he  removed 
to  Richmond,  and  made  it  his  home  for  the  rest  of  his 
life. 

As  a  citizen,  Mr.  Whitfield  was  unambitious  of 
public  honors,  though  animated  by  a  laudable  public 
spirit.  The  esteem  in  which  his  judgment  and  in- 
tegrity were  held,  is  partially  evidenced  by  his  service 
for  fifteen  years  as  a  justice,  to  which  position  he  was 
elected  against  his  wish,  and  twice  reflected  against 
his  protest.  As  a  business  man  he  was  sagacious, 
energetic  and  indefatigable.  His  industry  and  good 
judgment,  and  the  conspicuous  integrity  that  marked 

[112] 


THE  MAKERS.  113 

all  his  transactions,  were  rewarded  by  a  handsome 
property,  and  together  with  his  general  capacity, 
gave  him  prominence  among  the  leading  citizens  of 
Richmond.  He  was  in  all,  the  architect  of  his  own 
fortunes,  and  won  his  way  by  solid  merit. 

Mr.  Whitfield  was  converted  to  God  while  living  in 
New  York,  and  under  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Nicholas 
Snethen.  He  at  once  joined  the  Methodist  Church, 
of  which  he  remained  a  communicant  till  his  death. 
As  a  member  of  our  church  in  Richmond  he  was, 
throughout  his  long  life,  exceedingly  useful.  He 
filled  all  its  lay  offices  with  honor.  His  zeal  and 
liberality  abounded  in  behalf  of  all  the  enterprises  of 
the  church.  His  house  was  ever  a  preacher's  home — 
a  term,  the  whole  virtue  and  charm  of  which,  none 
but  itinerant  preachers,  and  especially  those  of  the 
earlier  days,  can  fully  appreciate.  There  are  still 
many  of  these  who  hold  him  in  blessed  remembrance. 

Mr.  Whitfield's  piety  was  deep,  his  life  consistent, 
and  his  faith  firm  and  intelligent,  always  ready  to  give 
the  reasons  on  which  it  was  founded.  His  testimony 
and  example  were  as  a  candle  set  upon  a  candlestick. 
With  advancing  years  his  Christian  character  gained 
new  development,  verifying  the  words  of  the  wise 
man,  that  the  path  of  the  just  is  as  the  shining  light, 
that  shineth  more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day. 
His  attendance  at  church  became  less  frequent  as  his 
infirmities  increased,  until  finally  he  could  come  no 
more.  Never  can  the  writer  forget  the  picture  of 
holy  rapture  on  the  last  or  nearly  the  last  of  these 
8 


114  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

occasions,  as  the  venerable  Christian,  with  lifted  eyes 
and  beaming  countenance  united  in  singing  the  grand 
doxology  of  Bishop  Kerr,  in  which  men  below  and 
angels  above  are  invoked  to  join  in  praising  the  triune 
God,  the  source  of  all  our  blessings.  It  is  thus  that 
memory  sees  him  whenever  his  name  is  called,  in 
his  accustomed  place  next  to  the  altar  of  Centenary 
Church,  with  features  radiant  and  heart  aglow  with 
the  near  foretaste  of  the  joys  of  heaven.  But  he  is 
not  there  now,  save  only  as  the  mind  pictures  him. 
He  is  indeed  singing  the  same  song  as  then;  but  he 
sings  it  above. 

The  last  years  of  Mr.  Whitfield's  life  were  spent 
in  what  Bunyan  describes  as  the  land  of  Beulah. 
His  Christian  warfare  was  already  accomplished,  his 
fight  of  faith  was  over,  his  perils  were  past,  and 
thenceforth  there  was  laid  up  for  him  a  crown  of 
righteousness.  In  beatific  prospect  of  the  eternal 
joys,  he  was  but  waiting  until  his  change  should 
come.  It  had  pleased  God  to  grant  him  the  blessing 
of  Abraham — "  full  of  years  "  and  "  satisfied  with 
long  life  ";  it  only  remained  to  call  him  to  the  upper 
mansions.  Finally  the  summons  arrived.  To  use 
the  figure  of  Bunyan,  a  post  came  from  the  Celestial 
City,  with  a  notification  to  Richard  Whitfield,  that 
he  would  soon  be  sent  for,  and  the  messenger  gave 
a  token  that  his  message  was  true :  "  The  keepers 
of  the  house  shall  tremble,  and  the  strong  men  shall 
bow  themselves,  and  the  golden  bowl  shall  be 
broken."  These  signs  Mr.  Whitfield  bore  for  a 


THE  MAKERS.  115 

season.  His  infirmities  increased,  but  so  did  his  faith 
and  his  consolation.  His  bliss  was  sometimes  ecstatic. 
At  last,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1866,  the  angelic 
convoy  came  for  him,  and  he  went  to  his  God. 

His  funeral  was  preached  the  next  day  by  Bishop 
Doggett,  to  a  large  congregation  in  Centenary 
Church,  and  his  body  was  committed  to  the  grave 
in  Shocco  Cemetery,  to  await  the  "  first  resurrec- 
tion." 


VI. 
JAMES  M.  TAYLOR. 

BY   WILLIAM    G.    STARR,    D.    D. 

In  the  county  of  New  Kent  nearly  one  hundred 
years  ago  was  born  one  of  the  truest  friends  that 
Richmond  Methodism  has  ever  enrolled  upon  the 
list  of  tireless  and  successful  workers  in  the  vineyard 
of  the  Lord.  He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  after 
having  served  his  generation  in  the  fear  of  God. 

James  M.  Taylor  was  converted  at  an  early  age, 
and  at  once  gave  evidence  of  his  own  personal  belief 
that  a  saved  man  ought  to  be  thoroughly  consecrated 
to  the  service  of  his  Saviour.  For  many  years  he  held 
his  membership  with  Centenary  Church  in  this  city 
and  was  always  in  his  seat  in  the  house  of  God  when 
the' time  came  for  public  worship.  He  was  an  en- 
thusiastic friend  of  the  preacher.  On  the  Sabbath 
day  he  listened  to  the  man  of  God  with  a  glad  heart, 
and  during  the  secular  week  he  held  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  serve  his  pastor  as  promptly  as  if  summoned 
by  the  ringing  of  a  bell.  He  kept  his  heart  full  of  the 
love  of  God  by  trusting  in  Christ  implicitly,  and  then 
by  exemplifying  that  love  in  deeds  of  charity  and  in 
loyal  devotion  to  the  church  of  his  choice. 


JAMfcS  M    TAYLOR. 


THE  MAKERS.  H7 

He  was  a  man  of  such  positive  convictions  touching 
duty  to  God  and  his  fellow  men  that  nothing  could 
swerve  him  an  inch  from  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
path  of  the  just.  It  is  related  that  when  the  work 
upon  the  present  Centenary  Church  building  was  at 
one  time  arrested,  owing  to  the  apprehension  of  the 
builders  that  they  might  not  be  paid  in  due  time  for 
their  labor  and  material,  Wm.  Evans  (the  father- 
in-law  of  Bro.  Taylor),  Richard  Whitfield  and  James 
M.  Taylor  assumed  the  payment  of  the  debt,  and 
directed  the  builders  to  continue  the  work  without 
fear  until  the  work  was  complete.  In  his  judgment, 
justice  leaned  toward  the  obligation  of  the  people 
binding  them  to  make  good  their  contract  with  the 
workmen,  but  he  entertained  a  loftier  sense  of  justice 
toward  that  God  whose  house  might  be  to  many 
souls  the  very  gate  of  heaven. 

In  the  year  1845  Brother  Taylor  saw  the  need  of 
a  new  church  enterprise  in  a  section  of  the  city  ad- 
jacent to  the  intersection  of  the  two  streets  known  as 
Clay  street  and  Brook  avenue.  Without  waiting 
until  some  result  might  be  reached  through  the  fre- 
quent sessions  of  committees  he  at  once  purchased 
a  lot  and  proceeded  to  erect  what  was  known  for 
many  years  as  "  Clay  Street  Chapel."  He  nailed  the 
shingles  on  the  roof  with  his  own  hands,  and  paid 
every  dollar  of  the  cost  of  the  entire  structure  as  soon 
as  it  was  due.  When  the  edifice  was  finished,  it  was 
ready  for  the  immediate  use  of  the  little  group  of 
worshippers  who  were  gathered  there  to  receive  it 


118  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

without  any  fear  of  financial  embarrassment — the  last 
item  of  indebtedness  having  already  been  provided 
for  by  this  noble  man  of  God. 

A  wise  field  of  usefulness  was  providentially  pro- 
vided for  the  peculiar  gifts  of  Brother  Taylor  in  this 
new  sphere  of  labor.  He  undertook,  as  soon  as  the 
congregation  entered  the  new  building,  to  organize 
a  Sunday  School,  and  for  twenty-five  years  he  was  its 
energetic  and  faithful  superintendent.  If  the  treasury 
of  the  church  was  not  in  condition  to  help  the  school 
at  any  time,  it  mattered  not,  inasmuch  as  the  money 
was  always  at  the  disposal  of  God's  people  through 
the  liberality  of  this  prince  in  Israel.  He  loved 
children,  and  every  member  of  the  chapel  school 
looked  to  him  who  presided  over  its  destiny  as  a  father 
and  a  friend.  They  often  halted  him  upon  the  street 
to  recite  in  his  hearing  the  simple  story  of  their 
everyday  cares  and  sorrows,  and  he  was  ever  ready 
to  cancel  their  griefs  with  the  sympathy  of  his  great 
heart. 

Bishop  McTyiere  once  said  to  a  body  of  young 
ministers  in  our  Conference,  "  Be  courteous  and  kind 
to  every  one,  but  never  forget  to  cultivate  the  friend- 
ship of  the  children  of  the  church." 

Nestor  H.  Forbes  was  the  teacher  of  the  male  Bible 
class  in  that  old  Clay  Street  Sunday  School.  Out  of 
that  company  of  young  men  God  called  four  to  the 
ministry  of  the  Word.  It  was  always  the  first 
question  with  Brother  Taylor,  whenever  he  met  any 
one  of  the  four,  to  enquire  also  about  the  ministerial 


THE  MAKERS.  119 

success  of  all  the  rest  of  them.  He  felt  that  their  lives 
and  his  own  had  only  been  parted  asunder  down  here 
by  the  call  of  duty,  and  that  by  God's  will  they  would 
meet  again  in  heaven. 

As  a  steward  and  trustee  of  the  church,  our  hal- 
lowed friend  was  a  model  of  promptness  and  fidelity. 
His  physical  endurance  enabled  him  to  accomplish 
everything  he  attempted  to  do  in  the  service  of  his 
Lord,  but  behind  this  there  was  a  mighty  impulse 
from  God — a  holy  longing  to  see  the  work  prospering 
everywhere.  He  kept  back  nothing  of  time,  energy 
or  estate  which  he  could  possibly  carry  to  the  altar 
as  an  offering  to  the  Christ  who  had  saved  him. 

When  advancing  years  reminded  him  that  the  end 
might  not  be  far  off  he  calmly  faced  the  issue  with 
triumphant  faith  in  God.  Under  the  roof  of  his  son, 
H.  Seldon  Taylor,  now  an  honored  steward  of  Park 
Place  Church,  this  venerable  man  of  God  breathed 
his  last  in  full  hope  of  the  glorious  resurrection  of  the 
just. 

His  memory  will  linger  through  long  years  to 
come,  carefully  treasured  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
knew  him  well  and  loved  him  with  filial  devotion. 
His  best  memorial  has  already  been  written  and 
re-written  in  the  lines  of  those  whose  thoughts  were 
moulded  by  his  broad  views  of  Christian  liberality, 
and  the  missionary  spirit  which  filled  his  soul  will 
be  a  living  power  among  Richmond  Methodists  so 
long  as  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant  shall  lead  us  to 
newer  fields  of  toil  and  make  us  brave  to  meet  the 
largest  claims  of  Christian  work. 


ISO  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Several  years  ago  Bishop  Atticus  G.  Haygood  said 
in  a  letter  to  a  church  paper :  "  Let  us  never  fail  to 
cherish  and  care  for  our  old  men  so  long  as  they  live, 
and  then  our  love  for  them  will  prompt  us  to  take 
care  of  their  memory  when  they  are  gone."  The 
deeds  of  our  fathers  are  a  sacred  trust  committed  to 
coming  generations  by  the  providence  of  God,  and  we 
ought  to  meet  the  obligation  during  our  brief  day 
on  earth  by  a  systematic  preservation  of  their  in- 
spiring words  and  heroic  achievments.  Centuries  ago 
Tacitus  wrote,  "  This  I  hold  to  be  the  chief  office  of 
history,  to  rescue  virtuous  actions  from  the  oblivion 
to  which  a  want  of  records  would  consign  them;  "  and 
we  cannot  conscientiously  let  perish  from  the  annals 
of  Methodism  in  Virginia  any  item  of  information 
that  may  be  of  service  to  those  who  will  come  after 
us. 

The  grand  old  men,  who  left  shining  footprints 
behind  them  when  they  were  transferred  to  the 
heavenly  home  still  live  in  the  affections  of  every 
grateful  servant  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  they  deserve 
to  be  honored  by  all  who  love  the  church  of  God. 


VII. 
CHARLES  TALBOTT. 


Charles  Talbott  was  born  September  15,  1813,  in 
Anne  Arundel  county,  Maryland,  at  the  ancestral 
home  of  his  father,  John  Lawrence  Talbott.  In  1839 
he  came  to  Richmond,  and  in  1848  he  became  a  mem- 
ber of  old  Trinity  Church  under  the  ministry  of  the 
Rev.  John  E.  Edwards.  He  was  one  of  the  leaders  in 
the  movement  to  build  new  Trinity  on  the  corner  of 
Twentieth  and  Franklin  streets.  He  believed  that  a 
church  was  needed  in  that  locality  and  he  showed  his 
faith  not  only  by  his  liberality,  being  one  of  the 
largest  contributors  to  the  enterprise,  but  by  the 
unceasing  care  which  he  gave  to  it. 

He  was  a  born  architect  and  the  plans  of  the  new 
church  were  largely  the  result  of  his  thought.  The 
erection  of  the  building  absorbed  him  so  completely 
that  he  could  be  usually  found  there  when  he  was 
sought  in  his  home.  He  saw  every  brick  and  stone 
go  into  it.  The  beauty  and  comfort  of  the  Sunday 
School  room,  which  has  often  been  remarked  upon, 
is  largely  the  result  of  his  planning  and  untiring 
efforts. 

For  many  years  he  gave  to  Trinity  bountifully  of 

[121] 


Igg  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

his  thought,  his  heart  and  his  means.  His  bene- 
ficence was  characteristic  of  the  man.  It  was  his  joy 
to  give  without  ostentation.  He  had  the  grace  of 
hospitality.  His  home  was  the  preacher's  home,  and 
there  was  nothing  too  good  and  no  service  too  great 
for  him  to  render  the  itinerant  who  came  under  his 
roof. 

As  a  man  of  business  he  was  conspicuous  for  in- 
tegrity. He  illustrated  the  truth  that  a  man  may 
prosper  in  the  pursuit  of  any  honorable  avocation  if 
honesty  be  with  him  a  matter  of  principle  rather  than 
of  policy. 

As  a  citizen  he  desired  nothing  save  the  approba- 
tion of  God  and  the  good  opinion  of  his  fellow  men. 
More  than  once  he  declined  to  receive  municipal 
honors,  which  his  many  friends  would  gladly  have 
conferred  upon  him. 

He  died  December  16,  1881,  after  a  career  of  great 
usefulness  in  the  various  relations  of  life,  and  his 
name  lives  in  the  grateful  memory  of  all  who  knew 
him. 


VIII. 
CORNELIUS  CREW. 


Cornelius  Crew,  for  many  years  one  of  the  most 
influential  Methodists  in  Richmond,  was  born  in 
Charles  City  County,  January  22,  1805.  His  parents 
were  Quakers,  and  to  their  faith  and  worship  he 
adhered  till  he  reached  the  full  maturity  of  his  years. 
After  his  marriage  in  1831  he  began  more  frequently 
to  attend  religious  worship  at  old  Trinity  Methodist 
Church,  and  in  1841,  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev. 
John  Newland  Maffitt,  he  made  a  profession  of  ex- 
perimental conversion  and  joined  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church. 

Within  one  year  from  the  time  of  his  union  with 
the  church — we  quote  from  a  sketch  written  by  the 
late  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards — he  was  appointed  leader, 
and  not  long  thereafter  a  steward,  both  of  which 
offices  he  filled  with  great  usefulness  and  fidelity  as 
long  as  his  health  would  allow  him  to  attend  to  his 
duties.  He  took  a  lively  interest  in  all  the  institutions 
and  enterprises  of  the  church,  and  was  a  liberal  con- 
tributor to  all  its  plans  for  church  extension,  and  for 
the  furtherance  of  the  gospel  in  the  world. 


1S4  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

After  the  division  of  old  Trinity  Church  member- 
ship he  united  with  that  portion  which  concluded  to 
build  what  is  now  known  as  new  Trinity.  Brother 
Crew  took  an  active  and  leading  part  in  the  erection 
of  this  church  edifice.  He  gave  his  time  and  atten- 
tion to  the  work  and  contributed  his  money  with  an 
unstinted  hand. 

He  was  the  friend  and  patron  of  education  and 
educational  enterprises.  More  than  once  he  took 
an  active  part — in  efforts  that  proved  unsuccessful — 
in  getting  up  a  large  female  college  in  Richmond, 
to  be  directly  under  the  direction  of  the  church  of 
his  choice.  The  Sunday  School  engaged  his  atten- 
tion and  labors,  and  shared  largely  in  his  contribu- 
tions from  the  time  he  entered  the  church  until  he 
was  unable  to  walk  to  the  Sunday  School  room.  He 
spoke  of  it  frequently  during  his  last  illness,  and 
seemed  to  desire,  more  than  almost  anything  else, 
a  return  to  his  accustomed  place  and  duties  in  this 
work  of  benevolence  and  charity. 

He  was  a  sincere  and  conscientious  Christian.  He 
often  complained  of  his  want  of  that  measure  of 
religious  enjoyment  which  he  thought  others  ex- 
perienced; but  he  was  constant  in  prayer,  uniform  in 
his  attendance  on  the  church  services,  and  always  led 
an  irreproachable  Christian  life. 

But  it  remained  for  his  last  illness  to  bring  up  his 
religious  experience  to  its  climax  of  enjoyment.  His 
deep  and  earnest  piety  exhibited  itself  in  its  beauty 
and  power  as  his  strength  declined,  and  as  he  verged 


THE  MAKERS.  125 

to  the  close  of  his  life.  He  acquired  a  complete 
victory  over  death,  and  looked  forward  to  it  and 
spoke  of  it  with  all  the  composure  with  which  the 
toil-worn  laborer  looks  to  the  close  of  the  day,  or 
the  weary  mariner,  after  a  tedious  voyage,  looks  to 
the  port  of  his  destination. 

His  humility  was  a  most  conspicuous  trait  in  his 
character.  He  shrank  with  an  instinctive  recoil  from 
anything  like  praise  that  might  be  bestowed  upon 
him,  and  strictly  enjoined  time  and  again,  that  noth- 
ing should  be  said  or  written  about  him  that  might 
not  tend  to  glorify  the  grace  of  God.  He  wished  to 
sink  into  nothing  and  let  Christ  be  all  in  all.  When 
his  pastor  would  say,  "  We  shall  miss  you;  what  will 
the  church  do  without  you?  "  he  would  reply:  "  God 
can  do  without  me;  he  is  not  dependent  upon  such 
a  poor  worm  as  I  am  for  the  support  of  his  cause." 

He  died  January  22,  1865,  at  his  home  in  this  city. 
The  day  before  his  death,  when  his  strength  was 
rapidly  failing,  he  requested  his  pastor,  with  his 
family,  to  sing  his  favorite  hymn — "  How  firm  a 
foundation,  ye  saints  of  the  Lord  " — and  at  the  close 
ot  the  hymn,  at  his  request,  prayer  was  offered  up; 
and  as  the  party  rose  from  their  knees,  he  repeated : 
"  Blessed  Jesus,  dear  Redeemer — how  precious  is 
Christ." 

Never  was  there  a  softer,  gentler  falling  asleep  in 
Jesus  than  was  witnessed  in  his  death. 


IX. 

DAVID  S.  DOGGETT  AND  THOMAS 
BRANCH. 

BY  PAUL  WHITEHEAD,    D.    D. 

The  subject  assigned  to  me  connects  the  names 
of  two  men  of  mark,  widely  different  in  personal 
characteristics,  in  the  spheres  of  life  and  activity 
providentially  falling  to  them,  and  in  the  species  of 
influence  exerted  by  them  upon  mankind  and  the 
church  of  God. 

The  one  was  a  distinguished  preacher  of  the 
gospel,  and  at  length  a  bishop  of  his  church;  the  other 
a  layman,  a  merchant  and  banker.  The  one  was  a 
student  and  scholar,  a  man  of  letters,  prominent  in 
style  and  utterance;  the  other  spending  little  time 
upon  books;  having  no  leisure  for  study;  blunt, 
direct  and  positive  in  his  address.  The  one  spending 
much  of  his  time  in  seclusion  from  society,  in  lonely 
study  and  meditation  in  the  pastor's  retirement,  "  far 
from  a  world  of  grief  and  sin,"  temporarily,  if  not 
"  forevermore  with  God  shut  in;  "  the  other  in  marts 
of  trade  and  traffic,  in  strugglings,  battlings  and 
endeavorings,  ofttimes  in  boisterous  conflicts,  where 

man's  selfish  interests  and  schemes  to  get  gain,  clash 

[126] 


THE  MAKERS.  127 

and  collide  and  strike  fire;  where  a  man  must  think 
quickly  and  decide  important  questions  upon  a 
moment's  consideration;  where  he  needs  much  prayer 
and  looking  to  God  to  do  right  and  yet  must  "  pray 
on  the  wing "  and  take  hold  upon  God  by  the 
"  upward  glancing  of  an  eye,"  through  the  smoke  of 
the  battle  of  trade;  where  above  all  every  provocation 
to  anger,  bitterness  and  distrust  of  our  fellow  men, 
arises  from  the  numerous  examples,  constantly  before 
one's  eyes,  of  the  unworthiness  of  ordinary  human 
nature. 

The  one  called  to  prominence  and  office  and 
authority  in  the  church  by  the  force  of  his  reputation 
and  the  splendor  of  his  gifts  improved  by  grace;  the 
other  moved  by  the  sense  of  duty  and  the  earnest 
desire  of  his  heart  to  better  things  around  him,  to 
come  to  the  front  of  service  and  without  fee  or  reward 
of  money  or  fame,  serve  his  generation  and  lay  upon 
the  altar  of  the  Divine  glory  his  abilities  and  contri- 
butions. 

Both  touched  deeply  and  strongly,  the  life  current 
of  Richmond  Methodism,  as  at  another  place,  they 
had  touched  for  good  and  eternal  help,  each  other's 
souls. 

The  period  of  life  in  Richmond  common  to  both, 
was  comparatively  short,  extending  from  1865  to 
1880.  The  labors  and  influence  of  Bishop  Doggett 
in  the  community,  began,  however,  long  before  the 
earlier  of  these  dates;  and  Mr.  Branch  in  age  and 
feebleness  continued  on  the  stage  of  life  here  for 


198  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

eight  years  after  the  bishop's  mortal  part  slept  under 
his  monument  in  Hollywood. 

David  S.  Doggett  was  stationed  in  Richmond  four 
times;  namely,  at  Trinity  in  1834  (the  year  of  his 
marriage);  in  1850-1  and  1852-3  at  Centenary;  in 
1 86 1 -2  and  1862-3  at  Broad  Street;  and  finally  in 
1863-4,  1864-5  and  1865-6  at  Centenary,  being  elected 
Bishop  in  April  of  the  last  year.  He  also  served  as 
presiding  elder  of  the  Richmond  District  for  four 
years — from  1857  to  I86i.  He  had  bought  real 
estate  and  gradually  enlarged  his  property  in  the 
capital  city  of  the  commonwealth,  and  naturally 
selected  it  as  his  home  when  he  was  elected  Bishop, 
He  had  therefore  long  known  it  and  become  in  a 
general  way  well  acquainted  with  its  Methodist  popu- 
lation and  membership  before  Thomas  Branch's 
removal  from  Petersburg. 

The  range  of  his  intimate  friends  was  not  large; 
he  did  not  seek  company  and  had  often  an  abstracted 
manner  in  which  he  was  comparatively  silent  and 
took  little  part  in  conversation;  hence  his  influence 
was  very  largely  that  of  a  public  man;  in  the  pulpit, 
in  public  meeting,  or  in  the  small  groups  of  trustees, 
managers  or  directors  of  some  interdenominational 
body  like  the  Virginia  Bible  Society,  of  which  he 
was  some  time  president.  He  was  known  to,  and 
more  or  less  well  acquainted  with,  the  leading 
preachers  of  other  churches  in  his  day;  for  example, 
Drs.  Plumer  and  Hoge  of  the  Presbyterians,  Dr. 
Jeter  of  the  Baptists,  Dr.  Minnegerode  of  the  Episco- 


THE  MAKERS.  129 

palians;  and  had  often  preached  in  churches  of  other 
denominations. 

In  the  judgment  of  most  men  capable  of  giving  an 
opinion,  he  was  facile  princeps  of  the  Richmond 
pulpit  whenever  he  had  a  charge  in  the  city.  No  man 
I  have  ever  heard  could  preach  a  hundred  consecutive 
sermons  of  a  higher  order  of  merit,  or  make  a  deeper 
or  more  abiding  impression  on  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  his  hearers.  He  was  too  classic,  and  elegant  for 
the  taste  of  some  men;  too  elaborate  and  thoughtful 
for  others;  not  noisy  enough  and  too  regardful  of 
proprieties  for  a  few;  but  the  average  man,  while 
listening  to  him,  had  broader  views  of  Scripture, 
deeper  views  of  religious  life,  thrilled  with  higher 
resolves  to  be  a  whole  hearted  and  more  devoted 
disciple  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  ofttimes  was  swept 
off  his  feet  by  the  rush  of  a  heaven-endowed 
eloquence  that  carried  the  listener  to  supernal  heights 
of  enjoyment  or  enthusiastic  readiness  to  do  and  dare 
all  things  for  Christ's  sake. 

It  cannot  be  doubted  that  in  addition  to  the  direct 
and  immediate  good  done  to  individual  souls  by  such 
a  preacher,  one  great  service  rendered  to  Methodism, 
here  as  elsewhere,  was  to  take  away  much  of  its 
reproach,  in  the  eyes  of  men  at  large,  as  a  church 
with  an  ignorant,  uncultivated  or  inelegant  ministry. 
David  S.  Doggett  was  the  peer  of  any  body's  minister. 
There  was  no  discount  on  his  scholarship.  He  was  as 
polished  as  Addison,  as  faultless  in  diction  as  Ma- 
caulay.  His  religious  fervor  was  as  exalted  as  that 
9 


ISO  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

of  Doddridge,  and  his  theology  as  clear  and  well 
adjusted  as  John  Wesley's.  His  illustrations  gave 
signs  of  wide  reading  and  a  pure  taste.  He  never 
even  leaned  towards  coarseness,  levity  or  irreverence. 

He  was  a  splendid  example  of  the  successful  ex- 
tempore speaker.  I  heard  him  in  Norfolk  in  1851 
deliver  an  elaborate  and  powerful  discourse  on  the 
text  "  It  it  finished."  I  wrote  from  memory  a  full 
outline  of  it,  but  of  necessity  a  mere  outline,  for  I 
was  not  a  stenographer  or  even  a  practised  note- 
taker.  Years  afterwards  I  showed  him  the  sketch. 
He  read  it  with  interest  and  exclaimed,  "  You  have 
more  of  it  than  I  have !  "  I  did  not  ask  an  expla- 
nation, but  I  thought  that  he  had  somehow  lost  the 
full  manuscript;  I  strove  in  vain  to  understand  him 
as  meaning  literally  what  he  said.  Yet  after  his 
death,  I  inspected  his  manuscripts  in  the  possession 
of  Dr.  John  E.  Edwards,  and  I  saw  that  his  remark 
was  precisely  true!  He  carried  in  his  mind,  with 
some  marvelous  power  to  reproduce  it,  the  filling 
out  of  the  great  sermons  of  which  he  had  never,  for 
the  most  part,  constructed  formally  in  writing  any- 
thing but  the  frame-work. 

In  delivery  he  was  perfectly  natural,  without  a 
trace  of  affectation  or  artificiality.  He  was  a  preacher 
and  not  an  actor;  absorbed  in  his  subject,  not  in 
elocutionary  effects,  yet  violating  no  canon  of  true 
art.  When,  immediately  after  admission  into  the 
Conference,  I  asked  him  what  advice  he  would  give 
to  a  beginner  in  preaching,  he  replied,  "  Study  to 


THE  MAKERS.  131 

be  natural,  and  try  to  find  out  and  correct  your 
faults :  "  a  simple  and  exhaustive  direction,  though 
difficult  of  execution.  He  was  a  great  preacher  made 
on  that  model. 

Though  a  man  of  ability  in  the  use  of  the  pen,  and, 
when  aroused,  not  devoid  of  power  as  a  debater,  and 
also  an  intelligent  student  of  our  church  polity, 
Bishop  Doggett  was  not  a  leader  in  ecclesiastical 
circles  like  Dr.  William  A.  Smith  or  Dr.  Leroy  M. 
Lee,  or  Bishop  John  Early.  The  superior  of  any  of 
them  on  the  throne  of  his  power,  the  pulpit,  they 
excelled  him  in  dealing  with  "  State  affairs  "  in  the 
Church,  and  in  governing  and  controlling  men  or 
bodies  of  men  for  governmental  purposes.  His 
"  days "  then  bear  his  impress  chiefly  as  an  able 
minister  of  the  New  Testament  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  the  Saviour,  "  rightly  dividing  the  word  of 
truth."  The  day  of  Eternity  alone  will  reveal  fully 
his  share  in  this  respect,  in  the  coloring  and  shaping 
of  Methodist  life  and  Methodist  development  here, 
where  so  large  a  portion  of  his  mature  life  and 
ministry  was  spent. 

Since  he  "fell  asleep"  in  1880  there  has  risen 
among  us  no  such  man :  the  splendor  of  no  such  light 
has  blazed  along  the  track  upon  which  the  car  of 
Methodism  in  this  city  has  been  rolling. 

He  was  great  in  death.  Among  other  things 
notable,  his  reply  to  the  hope  expressed  by  a  brother 
minister  that  he  would  soon  be  better  and  recover 
from  his  attack,  is  worthy  of  remembrance.  "  No, 


1S2  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

no,"  said  he,  "  I  have  gone  too  far  now,  I  wish  to 
step  out  on  the  shores  of  Eternity,  clad  in  the  robes 
of  my  immortality."  After  much  patient  endurance 
of  suffering,  and  a  clear,  powerful  witness  through- 
out, to  the  saving  efficacy  of  the  grace  and  blood  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  he  breathed  his  life  out  peace- 
fully upon  the  breast  of  his  Redeemer — the  refuge 
to  which  he  had  pointed  and  led  many  a  troubled, 
sin-sick  soul. 

THOMAS  BRANCH  was  getting  to  be  an  old  man 
when,  in  1865,  he  came  to  Richmond  to  reside. 
About  the  last  fourth  of  his  life  was  spent  here.  He 
had  been  for  over  thirty  years  a  prominent  Methodist 
in  Petersburg — second  there  only  to  D'Arcy  Paul, 
the  incomparable  Irishman,  whose  exalted  piety,  un- 
bounded liberality  and  unselfish  personal  services  to 
the  church  and  Conference,  have  made  his  name 
"  as  ointment  poured  forth."  The  "  Cockade  City  " 
has  always  been  a  strong  hold  of  Methodism.  It  had 
many  noble  Christians  in  our  churches.  Next  to 
D'Arcy  Paul,  as  I  have  said,  was  Thomas  Branch, 
converted  in  Dinwiddie  County,  and  joining  the 
church  in  Petersburg  when  David  S.  Doggett  was 
our  pastor  there.  When  High  Street  .Church  was 
organized,  he  went  thither  and  gave  some  of  the  best 
years  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  God  in  that  section 
of  our  Petersburg  membership.  After  years  of  com- 
panionship with  D'Arcy  Paul  and  other  men  of  a 
high  type,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  Richmond  Metho- 
dists as  they  rallied  their  thin  lines  for  reorganization 


THE  MAKERS.  133 

and  fresh  movement  after  the  terrible  convulsion  of 
the  Civil  War. 

Thenceforward  till  his  death  his  unique  figure  and 
personality  were  to  be  reckoned  upon  in  all  our 
denominational  demonstrations.  At  Annual  and 
General  Conferences  and  especially  in  rallies  or 
special  meetings,  at  home,  he  was  seen  and  heard 
and  always  made  an  impression. 

His  influence  over  the  people  of  his  day,  and  his 
power  for  good  are  to  be  ascribed,  under  God,  as  I 
conceive,  to  three  things: — 

i.  His  true  and  unfeigned  personal  religion.  He 
was  a  genuinely  converted  man,  born  again  in  those 
camp  meeting  days  of  1831,  when  with  the  men  of 
the  world  it  was  little  short  of  disgrace  to  go  to  a 
Methodist  "  mourner's  bench  "  and  "  seek  religion." 
He  trampled  under  foot  pride  and  the  world,  and 
came  down  into  the  dust,  and  was  really  and  wonder- 
fully changed  from  nature  to  grace.  And  this  "  pearl 
of  great  price  "  he  retained  amidst  all  the  corruptions 
and  temptations  which  assailed  him  in  a  long  and 
varied  life.  We  may  never  know  with  what  difficulty 
he  "  kept  the  faith."  He  was  unquestionably  the 
subject  of  painful  struggles,  and  had  fears  and  dark 
hours;  but  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  a 
free  use  of  the  ministry  of  sorrow  and  bereavement 
(for  he  passed  through  some  deep  waters),  he  was 
kept  through  faith  unto  salvation. 

Men  whose  personal  religion  is  doubtful,  or  more 
than  doubtful,  may  have  influence  proceeding  from 


134  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

wealth,  or  great  intellect,  or  social  connections;  but 
people  do  not  hearken  to  them  in  matters  of  religion, 
nor  can  they  take  the  flag  of  the  Cross  and  stand  in 
the  front  of  battle  in  an  evil  day.  Thomas  Branch 
could.  He  was  devout;  he  loved  worship  and  the 
Bible  at  home  and  in  Church.  He  loved  the  company 
of  good  men,  and  chose  such  for  his  special  intimates. 
He  kept  himself  unspotted  from  corrupt  and  doubtful 
associations. 

2.  His  decided  love  of  Methodism,  its  doctrines 
and  its  polity.  This  was  true  on  the  whole.  He  had 
hesitated  for  a  while  about  joining  the  Methodists. 
The  influence  of  a  distinguished  and  very  able 
minister  of  another  communion  kept  his  mind  for 
some  time  undecided.  But  he  made  his  choice  and 
did  not  substantially  swerve  from  it.  He  was  at- 
tracted, especially  late  in  life,  by  the  idea  of  church 
unity  which  has  engaged  the  thoughts  and  interested 
the  hearts  of  many  devout  and  broad-minded  men. 
He  was  greatly  enamored  of  the  idea  that  there  could 
be  a  great  church  which  all  good  men  might  join, 
and  love  and  labor  for  Christ's  cause  without  so 
many  sects  of  varying  opinions.  But  while  he  sup- 
posed himself  to  be  very  liberal  in  the  concessions 
which  he  could  make  to  this  great  idea,  it  was  in- 
teresting to  note  how  Methodistic  was  the  origin  and 
source  of  what  he  counted  indispensable.  In  truth 
the  Methodism  in  him  had  given  him  the  catholicity 
which  sought  yet  broader  paths  in  which  to  walk. 
A  true  Methodist  is  ready  always  to  say  to  all  others, 


THE  MAKERS.  1S5 

"  If  thy  heart  be  right,  as  my  heart  is  with  thy  heart, 
give  me  thy  hand."  Like  John  Wesley  he  values 
good  living  above  even  right  opinions.  He  strikes 
hands  with  good  people  on  all  sides.  The  Methodist 
people,  with  good  reason,  counted  Thomas  Branch 
to  be  among  them,  not  by  accident  but  by  deliberate 
and  earnest  choice — a  choice  tested  by  the  events 
of  over  fifty  years,  in  an  exciting,  laborious  and  event- 
ful life. 

3.  His  liberality.  Few  men  have  been  more 
generous  and  free-hearted  in  their  gifts  of  private 
kindness  and  charity  and  of  public  benevolence.  He 
had  a  tender,  sympathetic,  affectionate  disposition, 
strangely  mingled  with  an  abrupt  manner  which 
sometimes  appeared  harsh.  Touch  his  heart  and  you 
could  lead  him  any  whither  except  to  do  wrong. 
The  church  and  community  soon  took  his  gauge. 
They  knew  that  he  would  give,  and  that  he  was  not 
of  those  men  who  are  always  studying  how  to  avoid 
doing  what  conscience  and  public  opinion  demand 
of  them.  And  so  the  blessing  of  his  example  was 
large  in  his  day,  and  remains  in  Richmond  Metho- 
dism yet.  His  will  of  record  in  the  Court  of  this 
city,  contained  the  largest  bequest  to  our  church 
work  of  any  man  of  our  generation. 

A  rich  Methodist,  not  compromising  and  refining 
away  the  doctrines  of  religion  taught  by  the  fathers 
of  the  church;  not  ashamed  of  its  polity  and  usages; 
of  pure  living  and  unfeigned  devoutness  and  spiri- 
tuality of  mind;  charitable,  liberal,  benevolent,  not 


1S6  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

close  or  narrow  in  the  use  of  money,  particularly  for 
the  cause  of  religion,  but  free  handed,  ready  to  relieve 
distress,  setting  an  example  of  broad-minded  and 
broad-hearted  giving,  turning  no  good  cause  or 
worthy  object  away  empty — deserves  to  be  held  in 
everlasting  remembrance. 

Such  I  believe  was  Thomas  Branch.  In  a  very 
advanced  age,  he  gradually  declined  until  death 
"  sealed  "  God's  "  endless  mercies  "  to  him  and  made 
"  the  sacrifice  complete." 

I  will  not  conclude  this  paper  without  making 
some  remarks  on  the  value  to  our  church  of  a  well 
preserved  balance  between  the  two  elements,  clerical 
and  lay.  These  two  elements  are  strongly  typified 
by  Bishop  Doggett  and  Mr.  Branch. 

It  was  a  defect,  if  not  an  error,  in  the  original 
development  of  Methodism,  that  in  its  government 
the  clerical  element  so  largely  predominated.  The 
laymen  were  confined  to  a  subordinate  sphere  as 
stewards  and  class-leaders.  They  did  not  participate 
at  all  in  church  legislation.  Men  like  Thomas  Branch 
must  always  have  chafed  under  this  state  of  things. 
They  felt  competent  to  make  laws  for  the  church  as 
well  as  for  the  State.  They  saw  some  things  more 
clearly  than  the  clergy  seemed  to  do.  They  saw  no 
reason  why  a  preacher's  parchment  of  ordination 
should  make  a  man  wiser  in  matters  of  finance  than 
experience  as  a  merchant  or  banker,  nor  why  the 
same  preparation  should  enable  one  to  deal  with 
questions  of  jurisprudence  like  a  lawyer.  Their  zeal 


THE  MAKERS.  137 

languished  for  lack  of  exercise.  Their  powers  of 
service  were,  in  many  things,  dwarfed  so  far  as  the 
Church  organization  was  concerned.  Gradually  this 
evil  was  removed,  and  no  one  enjoyed  its  removal 
more  than  Thomas  Branch. 

A  few  preachers  have  talent  and  special  gifts  for 
Church  business.  Let  such  be  recognized  and  hon- 
ored and  employed  in  that  sphere  as  well  as  in  the 
clerical  work  proper.  On  the  other  hand,  not  every 
layman  can  be  decidedly  useful  in  those  departments 
of  work  which  belong  to  the  list  of  serving  tables. 
They  are  particularly  called  to  give  themselves  to 
"  prayer  "  as  much  as  any  preacher  is  to  the  "  ministry 
of  the  world."  It  is  as  great  a  blunder  to  set  them 
over  the  temporalities  of  the  Church  because  they 
are  "  good  men,"  "  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit "  as  it 
would  be  to  employ  in  the  same  work  an  eloquent 
preacher  for  that  reason.  This  is  an  age  calling  for 
the  best  methods  and  the,  best  men  to  use  them.  The 
clerical  ranks  ought  to  be  weeded  of  unworthy  in- 
cumbents, and  the  lay  officials  selected  from  our  most 
gifted  as  well  as  our  most  consecrated  men.  Then 
the  worship  and  the  service  of  God,  in  the  desk  and 
in  the  pew,  in  the  study  and  in  the  council  chamber, 
shall  be  alike  strong  and  effective,  and*  not  too  sadly 
like  "  the  legs  of  the  lame." 

With  a  better  educated,  better  drilled,  higher- 
toned  ministry,  and  the  pressing  into  service  of  every 
layman  of  ability  and  gifts  for  every  species  of  work 
he  is  prepared  to  do,  we  shall  need  only  a  powerful 


138  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

and  constant  baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make  the 
twentieth  century  as  notable  in  our  annals  as  the 
eighteenth  century,  the  earlier  part  of  which  saw  the 
birth  of  Methodism  in  the  world,  and  its  latter  days, 
the  introduction  of  the  same  heaven-blessed  organi- 
zation into  the  capital  city  of  the  Old  Dominion. 


X. 
ASA  SNYDER.* 


He  was  born  in  Ulster  county,  N.  Y.,  March  30, 
1825.  His  parents,  devout  and  zealous  Methodists, 
brought  him  up  in  the  nurture  and.  admonition  of 
the  Lord.  In  1846  he  was  married  to  Miss  Blandina 
Storry,  of  the  same  county,  who  proved  herself  a 
faithful,  devoted  helpmeet  through  his  life,  and  now 
sorrows  at  his  grave,  yet  not  as  others  who  have  no 
hope.  In  1851  he  moved  to  Richmond,  Va.,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  active  business,  until  declining 
health  compelled  him  to  retire  to  Unter  Walden,  his 
country-seat  in  Fluvanna.  From  a  child  he  led  a 
moral  life,  but  not  until  1856  did  he  profess  saving 
faith  in  Christ.  October  5th  of  that  year,  he  united 
with  Centenary  M.  E.  Church,  South,  Dr.  J.  E. 
Edwards  being  the  pastor.  In  a  brief  interview  with 
him  last  spring,  I  spoke  of  the  appreciation  and 
affection  of  his  brethren  of  Centenary  to  him;  his 
eyes  filled  with  grateful  tears,  and  he  acknowledged 

*This  sketch  is  taken  from  an  article  by  Bishop  J.  C.  Gran- 
bery,  which  appeared  in  the  "  Richmond  Christian  Advocate  " 
shortly  after  Mr.  Snyder's  death. 

[139] 


140  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

with  warmth  and  pathos  the  uniform  kindness  and, 
as  he  said,  forbearance  and  undeserved  honor  they 
had  shown  him.  He  was  an  ornament  of  grace  and 
pillar  of  strength  to  that  church. 

I  do  not  know  the  number  of  years  he  was  super- 
intendent of  the  Sunday  School.  But  I  do  know  that 
he  was  a  model  superintendent  in  fidelity  and  zeal, 
in  wisdom  and  energy.  His  heart  was  in  the  work; 
he  gave  to  it  his  life.  It  was  his  thought  day  and 
night.  It  occupied  him  seven  days  of  the  week.  He 
studied  the  Bible  lessons,  and  illustrated  and  enforced 
them  with  singular  beauty  and  force  by  blackboard 
and  speech.  He  had  the  confidence  and  love  of 
teachers  and  scholars  and  they  were  plastic  in  his 
hands.  He  was  full  of  enterprise,  and  knew  how  to 
carry  his  plans  into  successful  operation  by  a  happy 
combination  of  tact  and  tenacity.  He  met  and  over- 
came opposition  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  words 
of  courtesy  and  gentleness  on  his  lips,  but  with 
strength  and  firmness  of  conviction  and  purpose.  He 
won  over  to  his  way  of  thinking  those  who  at  first 
withstood  the  improvements  he  advocated,  and  soon 
kindled  in  their  hearts  his  own  enthusiasm.  He 
could  stir  up  the  negligent  to  diligence  without 
offending  them.  He  got  a  great  deal  of  labor  and 
money  out  of  the  officers  and  teachers,  ever  setting 
them  the  example.  Indeed,  he  kept  the  Sunday 
School  prominently  before  the  entire  Church,  and 
enlisted  hearty  cooperation. 

His  influence  was  not  confined  to  Centenary  Sun- 


THE  MAKERS.  141 

day  School.  His  inaugurated  the  Sunday  School 
Society  of  Richmond  and  Manchester,  whose  monthly 
meetings  still  fill  to  overflow  our  largest  churches. 
His  large  heart  took  in  all  our  stations  and  circuits, 
and  he  was  felt  as  a  wholesome  stimulus  and  power 
in  many  places. 

Sympathy  with  the  poor  was  a  marked  feature  of 
his  character.  It  manifested  itself  in  the  unbounded 
energy  and  liberality  with  which  he  enlarged  and 
supported  the  Dorcas  department  of  his  Sunday 
School.  But  this  was  only  one  of  its  many  generous 
forms.  As  his  pastor  I  happened  to  learn  something 
of  his  generous  feeling  to  the  needy  and  of  his  active 
help.  He  was  not  merely  beneficent  in  gifts;  he 
searched  them  out,  examined  into  their  cases,  listened 
patiently  and  with  interest  to  their  story,  gave  them 
immediate  relief,  and  labored  to  secure  for  them 
permanent  means  of  living.  He  might  have  used  the 
words  of  Job :  "  The  blessing  of  him  that  was  ready 
to  perish  came  upon  me:  and  I  caused  the  widow's 
heart  to  sing  for  joy." 

When  I  became  preacher  in  charge  of  Centenary, 
I  expected  to  find  Brother  Snyder  an  enthusiast  in 
the  Sabbath  School,  but  with  little  time  for  other 
kinds  of  church  work.  But  there  was  no  man  in 
that  large  and  noble  society  who  gave  me  readier 
sympathy,  wiser  counsel,  or  more  active  support  in 
all  my  labors,  than  he.  He  was  an  attentive  and 
efficient  steward.  He  was  present  at  the  weekly 
lecture  and  prayer-meeting.  I  could  count  on  him 


143  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

in  all  revival  meetings.  If  I  consulted  him  about  a 
weak  or  erring  brother,  he  entered  with  deep  and 
tender  solicitude  into  the  case.  Communion  with 
him  on  personal  religion  and  the  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  was  ever  refreshing. 

His  home  was  a  blessed  spot.  There  he  delighted 
to  seek  rest  and  solace  after  the  toils  and  cares  of 
the  day.  There  his  sunshiny  cheerfulness  and  love 
showed  forth  to  greatest  advantage.  There  was  no 
more  devoted  husband,  no  fonder  father,  than  he. 
He  neglected  nothing  which  could  promote  the 
refined,  intelligent,  virtuous,  and  pious  happiness  of 
the  household.  There,  too,  he  dispensed  the  most 
genial  hospitality. 

I  have  praised  him  as  a  Methodist.  But  he  was 
no  bigot.  True  to  his  own  church,  he  admired  all 
who  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity,  and 
gladly  bade  them  godspeed,  and  became  their  co- 
worker.  He  was  known  and  honored  beyond  Metho- 
dism. When  his  health  prevented  him  from  attend- 
ing night  service  at  his  own  church,  he  spent  his 
Sunday  afternoons  at  the  Penitentiary  Sunday  School, 
and  was  enthusiastic  in  the  cause.  In  1880  he  was 
appointed  a  delegate  to  the  Raikes'  Sunday  School 
Convention  in  London,  and  his  parting  address  to 
the  convicts  on  the  Sunday  before  going  abroad  was 
most  touching;  tears  streamed  down  the  hardened 
faces,  and  they  crowded  around  him,  eager  to  clasp 
his  hand,  and  receive  his  autograph  and  farewell 
blessing. 


THE  MAKERS.  143 

On  that  trip  he  contracted  asthma,  which  termi- 
nated in  pulmonary  disease.  Compelled  to  resign 
the  superintendency  of  Centenary  Sunday  School 
he  continued  his  prompt  attendance,  and  his  interest 
was  unabated,  teaching  whenever  strength  permitted. 
For  three  years  he  enjoyed  the  sweet  seclusion  and 
pure  atmosphere  of  his  Fluvanna  home.  In  daily 
supervision  of  the  farm,  he  enjoyed  communion  with 
nature  and  nature's  God,  admiring  all  vegetable  and 
animal  life,  wild  flower  and  geological  specimen, 
insect,  bird  and  beast.  The  last  time  he  spoke  in 
public  was  in  October,  1883,  at  Wesley  chapel,  where 
he  was  requested  to  address  the  congregation  in  the 
absence  of  the  pastor.  As  he  expounded  the  first 
part  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  his  whole  being  seemed 
aglow  with  heavenly  fire,  and  the  people  were  thrilled 
and  feasted.  After  a  violent  cold  contracted  in 
March,  1884,  he  never  spoke  in  his  natural  voice, 
but  always  in  a  faint  whisper.  His  wife  and  one  son 
were  his  constant  attendants,  and  in  the  following 
June  his  entire  family  gathered  around  him.  His 
appetite  and  strength  improved,  awaking  delusive 
hope.  July  i8th  he  was  thrown  from  his  buggy, 
and,  though  he  suffered  only  bruises,  from  that  time 
he  sank  rapidly.  Speechless  from  the  shock  for 
many  minutes,  his  lips  were  afterwards  seen  to  move, 
a  look  of  holy  triumph  and  praise  was  on  his  face, 
and  his  daughter,  bending,  caught  the  whisper, 
"  Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  all  that  is  within 
me,  bless  his  holy  name ! "  Tender  of  others'  com- 


144  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

fort,  thankful  for  every  service  rendered,  placid  and 
lovely  he  faded  away.  He  kept  his  Bible  by  his  side, 
and  to  the  last  day  of  his  life  never  neglected  private 
prayer.  The  family  altar  was  not  slighted  even  in 
his  extreme  feebleness:  the  last  evening,  as  usual, 
one  of  the  children  read  a  chapter  in  the  Bible,  they 
all  knelt  in  silent  prayer,  then  the  Lord's  Prayer  was 
uttered,  his  faint  voice  leading,  and  he  closed  with 
his  wonted  petition,  "  O  Lord  take  not  thy  Holy 
Spirit  from  us,"  the  last  words  the  family  heard 
him  speak.  Thus  he  lingered  at  the  very  gate  of  the 
Celestial  City,  until  the  night  of  August  4th,  when 
it  opened,  and  he  entered  within.  He  had  given 
minute  instructions  about  the  management  of  the 
farm,  and  his  modest  "  dying  request  "  that  his  family 
should  not  wear  mourning  nor  erect  over  him  a 
monument,  concluding  with  this  emphatic  testimony : 
"  And  my  dear  child !  remember  that  my  hope  is  in 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 


XL 
ALBERT  L.  WEST.* 


Albert  L.  West  was  born  in  Chesterfield  county, 

J  ' 

Va.,  on  the  loth  of  May,  1825,  and  died  at  his  home, 
in  the  city  of  Richmond,  on  the  27th  of  September, 
1892. 

With  the  exception  of  a  few  years  spent  in  Peters- 
burg and  in  Augusta,  Ga. — in  the  latter  city  in  the 
service  of  the  Confederate  Government — he  had  lived 
in  Richmond  from  his  early  manhood.  He  was 
closely  identified  with  the  interests  of  the  city,  and, 
as  a  public-spirited  citizen,  took  a  lively  interest  in- 
all  enterprises  looking  to  its  prosperity.  He  was  art 
architect  by  profession;  and  many  edifices,  public 
and  private,  here  and  elsewhere,  stand  as  monuments 
to  his  skill  and  fidelity. 

For  more  than  half  a  century  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Methodist  Church.  As  such  he  was  consistent, 
faithful,  devoted.  He  was  seldom  absent  from  his 
place  in  the  sanctuary;  and  by  prayer  and  song  and 
exhortation  was  always  glad  to  contribute  to  the 

*  A   sketch  by  the  late  Dr.   R.  N.   Sledd,  published  in  the 
"  Richmond  Christian  Advocate." 
10  [145] 


146  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

interest  of  the  social  service.  He  was  ready  for  every 
good  word  and  work. 

He  was  a  diligent,  earnest  student  of  the  Word  of 
God.  Many  years  ago  he  wrote  in  his  diary :  "  I 
have  finished  reading  the  Bible  through  the  eighth 
time.  I  propose  hereafter  to  read  it  not  consecu- 
tively, but  by  books  or  subjects."  He  read  it  with 
commentary  and  concordance  at  hand  for  the  expla- 
nation of  difficult  passages  and  for  comparing  things 
spiritual  with  spiritual.  He  read  it  not  as  an  in- 
tellectual pastime,  but  for  the  spiritual  light  and 
guidance,  strength  and  comfort  which  he  found  in 
it.  It  was  good  for  his  soul.  He  grew  thereby. 

He  was  specially  active  in  the  Sunday  School  work. 
As  teacher,  superintendent,  and  for  many  years 
president  of  the  Sunday  School  Association  of 
Richmond  and  Manchester,  he  rendered  faithful  and 
efficient  service.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  State 
Sunday  School  Union.  Few  men  have  labored  more 
earnestly  in  this  department  of  church  enterprise 
than  he;  none  ever  rejoiced  more  in  its  success. 

The  mission  work  of  the  Church  enlisted  his 
deepest  sympathies  and  active  cooperation.  For 
many  years  he  was  in  constant  correspondence  with 
one  or  more  of  our  missionaries  in  foreign  fields, 
kept  fully  abreast  with  their  movements,  and  did  what 
he  could  for  their  temporal  welfare.  "  Uncle  Larry  " 
had  in  him  a  strong  friend  and  ally.  The  Rosebuds 
are  familiar  with  his  name,  and  are  indebted  to  him 


THE  MAKERS.  147 

in  no  small  measure  for  the  stability  and  enlargement 
of  their  work. 

It  was  through  his  efforts  in  connection  with  those 
of  one  other  gentleman  that  the  Young  Men's  Chris- 
tian Association,  of  Richmond,  was  organized  and 
put  into  successful  operation.  There  was  no  move- 
ment having  in  view  the  moral  and  religious  welfare 
of  the  community  that  did  not  enlist  his  sympathy 
and  help. 

He  was  of  broad,  catholic  spirit — thoroughly 
Methodistic  in  principle  and  preference,  but  a 
stranger  to  intolerance  and  bigotry.  The  presence 
at  his  funeral  of  about  twenty  ministers  and  a  great 
audience  of  all  denominations  was  a  splendid  testi- 
mony to  his  Christian  catholicity. 

His  home-life  was  simple  and  beautiful.  As  hus- 
band and  father,  he  was  tender  and  true,  finding 
his  own  happiness  in  the  happiness  of  those  he  loved. 
To  them  his  memory  is  precious. 

A  kind  neighbor,  an  unfaltering  friend,  an  upright 
citizen,  a  devoted  follower  of  Christ,  he  rests  from 
his  labors,  and  his  works  do  follow  him.  In  beautiful 
Hollywood  he  waits  the  trumpet  call  of  the  resurrec- 
tion morn. 


XII. 
WILLIAM  HOLT  RICHARDSON. 


William  Holt  Richardson  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  Trinity  Church,  but  in  1859  he  resolved 
to  unite  with  the  little  group  of  worshippers  who  fol- 
lowed the  movement  and  plan  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  James 
A.  Duncan  to  erect  a  church  building  upon  the  cor- 
ner of  Broad  and  Tenth  streets.  He  became,  then, 
one  of  the  founders  of  the  present  Broad  Street 
Church.  In  the  new  organization  he  was  a  trustee, 
and  a  member  of  the  Official  Board  until  the  close 
of  his  life.  His  pastor  loved  him  and  committed  to 
his  hands  much  of  that  class  of  church  work  which 
requires  for  its  successful  transaction  a  clear  mind  and 
extraordinary  soundness  of  judgment. 

He  was  born  in  1817  and  died  June  16,  1883 — in 
the  very  prime  of  his  Christian  manhood,  having  at- 
tained his  sixty-sixth  year.  During  the  period  of 
his  long  residence  in  Richmond  he  bore  a  spotless 
reputation  and  was  looked  upon  as  a  model  man  in 
all  his  business  relations  with  his  fellow-men.  Never 
did  the  Methodist  banner  trail  in  the  dust  when  Wil- 
liam Holt  Richardson  had  the  flag  staff.  Out  of  a 

[148] 


THE  MAKERS.  149 

Methodist  home  and  surrounded  by  a  family  of  Meth- 
odist children,  he  passed  to  his  heaven1y  reward. 

Amiable,  charitable,  just,  heroic  in  affliction,  gentle 
as  a  child,  meek  and  unoffending,  diligent  in  every 
duty,  he  was  a  man  who  lovingly  but  unobtrusively 
walked  near  his  Maker,  modestly  shrinking  as  it  were 
from  His  presence  as  well  as  from  the  observation  of 
men,  and  seeking  to  avoid  giving  offense  by  any  ex- 
hibition of  self-righteousness.  Like  the  incense  of 
a  sweet  flower,  his  was  a  pure  and  lovely  character 
to  be  envied  by  those  who  seek  the  higher  life.  Few 
Methodists  dispensed  more  genuine  hospitality  than 
he.  He  appeared  to  be  unconscious  of  his  many 
acts  of  charity,  absolutely  so  forgetting  them  that 
they  never  restrained  the  freedom  of  those  who  took 
part  with  him  in  any  benevolent  enterprise. 

He  completed  a  life  of  great  usefulness  on  earth 
and  left  behind  him  the  legacy  of  a  good  name. 


XIII. 
T.  L.  D.  WALFORD. 


Thomas  Logan  Douglas  Walford  was  born  in  this 
city,  September  25,  1829.  His  parents  died  when  he 
was  very  young  and  he  grew  up  under  the  care  of  his 
sisters — noble  Christian  women,  who  continued  to 
train  him  as  his  parents  had  begun,  for  a  life  of 
Christian  usefulness.  His  father  was  for  many  years 
a  highly  respected  school-teacher  in  Richmond.  In 
early  life  he  was  employed  by  the  Methodist  Book 
Concern,  which  was  then  located  in  this  city.  Here 
he  imbibed  a  love  for  good  books,  which  gave  direc- 
tion to  his  subsequent  career. 

The  greater  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  the  book 
business.  In  his  latter  days  he  was  the  agent  of  the 
Virginia  Bible  Society,  a  position  he  retained  until 
his  death.  He  was  all  his  life  a  devoted  Methodist. 
He  believed  with  all  his  heart  in  the  doctrines  of 
his  church,  loved  her  institutions  and  was  loyal  to 
all  her  demands  of  duty. 

He  took  deep  interest  in  all  the  public  affairs  of 
the  Church.  He  was  often  a  delegate  to  the  District 
and  Annual  Conferences  and  was  one  of  the  most 

[150] 


THE  MAKERS.  151 

influential  members  of  the  Sunday  School  Association 
and  also  of  the  Layman's  Union.  His  church  elected 
him  to  many  positions  of  honor  and  trust.  The 
position  which  he  most  appreciated  and  in  which  he 
found  his  greatest  pleasure  was  that  of  infant-class 
teacher  in  Trinity  Sunday  School.  He  had  a  talent 
for  imparting  to  children  the  truths  of  the  Bible.  He 
believed  that  the  Bible  was  for  childhood  as  well  as 
old  age,  and  he  seldom  failed  to  make  it  interesting  to 
all  the  little  ones  under  his  care.  He  taught  this 
class  for  more  than  twenty-five  years  and  many 
hundreds  remember  him  with  affection  as  their  first 
Sunday  School  teacher.  To  a  casual  observer  he 
seemed  at  times  a  stern  disciplinarian,  but  the  children 
always  loved  him  and  were  reluctant  to  leave  his 
room  for  the  higher  classes. 

His  health,  never  very  robust,  gave  way  when  he 
was  in  his  sixty-eighth  year,  and  on  January  27,  1896, 
his  spirit  was  released  and  he  went  home  to  be  with 
loved  ones  who  had  long  passed  before  him  into  a 
better  world. 

He  was  an  affable  and  courteous  gentleman,  a 
fervent  Christian,  of  blameless  life  and  faithful  to 
every  duty.  No  man  labored  more  earnestly  or  more 
efficiently  for  Richmond  Methodism  in  his  day  than 
he. 


XIV. 
ELECT  LADIES. 


Elsewhere  in  this  volume  mention  has  been  made 
of  the  singular  scarcity  of  records  relating  to  the 
deeds  of  the  heroic  men  who  helped  to  make  Metho- 
dism what  it  is  in  Richmond.  If  our  fathers  showed 
little  concern  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  memory  of 
their  deeds,  it  is  not  strange  that  our  mothers  should 
have  left  no  record  whatever  from  which  one  might 
get  even  a  hint  of  their  labors.  Yet  there  is  abundant 
evidence  that  no  women  ever  gave  themselves  more 
fully  to  the  church  than  they.  The  impress  of 
woman's  hand  is  to  be  found  upon  every  part  of 
Richmond  Methodism,  and  while  the  very  names  of 
many  of  the  elect  ladies  of  the  heroic  age  of  the 
church  have  been  forgotten  the  influence  of  their 
lives  still  abides  with  us. 

We  are  indebted  to  Bishop  Asbury  for  the  preser- 
vation of  the  name  of  the  first  woman  who  took  a 
leading  part  in  the  development  of  Richmond  Metho- 
dism. Among  the  immigrants  who  came  to  Rich- 
mond after  the  Revolution  was  a  Mr.  Parrott,  a 
highly  respectable  Englishman  of  moderate  means. 

[152] 


THE  MAKERS.  15S 

His  wife  and  daughters  were  zealous  Wesleyans,  and 
while  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  church  he  had  a 
warm  place  in  his  heart  for  the  Methodist  itinerant, 
and  was  proud  to  call  his  house  the  preacher's  home. 
The  family  lived  on  Main  street  near  the  old  market, 
and  for  many  years  their  home  was  the  regular 
stopping  place  of  our  preachers.  Bishop  Asbury  was 
several  times  their  guest  and  in  his  journal  he  refers 
in  considerate  terms  to  the  gracious  hospitality  for 
which  they  were  noted.  Mrs.  Parrott  seems  to  have 
been  the  leading  spirit  in  the  little  Methodist  society 
which  was  formed  in  Richmond  in  1793,  and  which 
after  a  severe  struggle  secured  a  foothold  by  erecting 
a  church  in  1799.  It  was  during  this  period  of 
struggle  that  she  provided  at  her  own  expense  a 
shelter  for  the  society,  as  related  by  Dr.  Brown  in 
his  paper  on  "  Methodism  In  Richmond  For  One 
Hundred  Years." 

A  second  name  on  the  brief  list  of  heroic  women 
that  has  come  down  to  us  is  Miss  Mary  (familiarly 
known  as  Miss  Polly)  Bowles.  Miss  Bowles  was  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  women  of  her  day.  It  has 
been  frequently  stated  by  persons  little  acquainted 
with  the  history  of  this  city  that  the  early  Methodists 
of  Richmond  were  wholly  without  influence.  As  a 
matter  of  fact  there  was  never  a  time  when  the 
Church  was  without  leaders  of  high  repute  and  of 
commanding  influence  in  the  community.  The 
leading  spirit  of  Richmond  in  the  early  part  of  this 
century  was  "  Miss  Polly."  Much  as  she  did  for 


164  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Methodism  she  did  more  for  the  community  at  large. 
For  many  years  she  taught  a  school  on  Nineteenth 
street  which  was  the  intellectual  center  of  the  com- 
munity. At  this  school  the  best  people  of  the  city 
received  their  early  training.  She  was  a  woman 
of  strong  intellect,  noble  character,  and  "  taught  as 
one  having  authority."  Her  indefatigable  energy 
and  her  zeal  for  the  Lord  filled  her  life  with  labors 
up  to  the  very  moment  of  her  departure.  She  ceased 
to  work  only  when  she  ceased  to  live.  When  Dr. 
Leroy  M.  Lee  announced  his  text  at  her  funeral,  he 
paused  a  moment  and  then  said :  "  We  have  met  to- 
day to  bury  a  saint  of  God.  If  you  go  to  her  home 
looking  for  treasure  you  will  find  none:  she  took 
what  she  had  with  her." 

Intimately  associated  with  Miss  Bowles  in  her 
latter  days  was  Mrs.  Frances  Eger.  Mrs.  Eger  was 
born  in  Athlone,  Ireland,  in  1796,  and  came  to  this 
country  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  After 
a  residence  of  several  years  in  Philadelphia  she  moved 
to  Richmond.  She  was  for  many  years  one  of  the 
most  useful  and  influential  members  of  Old  Trinity. 
As  a  Sunday  School  teacher  she  had  few  equals. 

A  little  farther  down  the  list  is  the  name  of  Mrs. 
Catharine  Bethel,  who  is  said  to  have  been  the  leading 
spirit  of  the  Methodist  circle  in  the  western  part  of 
the  city  in  the  middle  of  the  century.  Mrs.  Bethel 
was  a  Miss  Hardy  of  Lunenburg.  She  was  a  woman 
of  means  and  of  remarkable  business  ability,  and  at 
one  time  owned  the  section  of  the  city  now  covered 


THE  MAKERS.  155 

by  Monroe  Park  and  the  surrounding  blocks.  It 
was  in  her  house  that  Albert  West  organized  a  Sun- 
day School  out  of  which  grew  Sidney  Chapel.  To 
this  enterprise  she  gave  liberally,  the  lot  on  which 
the  chapel  was  built  being  donated  by  her.  Her 
house,  which  was  on  Main  street  near  what  is  now 
Monroe  Park,  was  for  many  years  the  preacher's 
home  in  that  part  of  the  city. 

To  the  same  period  belongs  Mrs.  Elizabeth  H. 
Williams  who  occupied  a  position  in  the  East  End 
somewhat  similar  to  that  occupied  by  Mrs.  Bethel 
in  the  West  End.  She  was  born  February  19,  1802, 
and  was  married  to  Mr.  Wilson  Williams  February 
15,  1828,  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Carson.  She  was  a 
sister  of  John  D.  Collins,  one  of  the  editors  of  the 
"  Richmond  Enquirer."  She  was  converted  at  Old 
Trinity  on  Nineteenth  street  and  for  more  than  sixty 
years  adorned  the  doctrine  of  God.  It  is  said  that 
she  was  never  known  to  miss  a  service  of  any  kind 
at  her  church  except  when  kept  away  by  sickness. 
She  died  November  10,  1891,  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
nine  years. 

Coming  down  to  the  generation  that  is  just  pass- 
ing away  we  are  attracted  by  a  name  of  remarkable 
fragrance.  Mrs.  Lizzie  Morton  was  at  once  the 
ornament  and  servant  of  her  church.  No  life  was 
ever  richer  in  good  works,  none  shed  a  sweeter 
influence,  none  was  more  radiant  with  the  beauty 
of  holiness.  She  came  of  a  family  that  never 
owned  a  trumpet  and  she  passed  through  the  world 


156  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

so  quietly  that  few  besides  those  who  felt  the  touch 
of  her  helping  hand  were  aware  of  her  presence. 
But  these  were  a  multitude.  She  was  a  veritable 
magnet  for  people  in  trouble.  The  needy,  the  per- 
plexed, the  broken-hearted  sought  her  instinctively 
and  never  sought  her  in  vain.  She  came  as  near  the 
ideal  of  utter  self-abnegation  as  mortals  ever  get 
in  this  world.  Her  whole  strength  was  consumed 
in  the  service  of  Christ  and  those  for  whom  Christ 
died. 

Mrs.  Morton  was  born  September  15,  1834,  and 
went  home  July  9,  1897.  Between  these  dates  was 
crowded  such  a  wealth  of  love's  labor  as  has  seldom 
found  place  in  a  single  life.  Her  work  in  Centenary 
Church  will  abide  forever.  In  spite  of  her  retiring 
disposition  and  horror  of  publicity  she  was  pressed 
into  all  the  leading  positions  open  to  women  in  the 
church,  and  she  adorned  them  all.  The  beautiful 
pulpit  in  Centenary  erected  to  her  memory  by  the 
Ladies'  Aid  Society,  of  which  she  was  long  the  head, 
faintly  testifies  to  the  regard  in  which  she  was  held 
by  her  co-workers. 

Dr.  Paul  Whitehead,  in  an  appreciative  sketch  of 
Mrs.  Morton  published  in  the  Richmond  Christian 
Advocate,  says:  "We  have  never  known  a  woman 
whose  ideal  of  Christian  character  and  work  was 
higher;  whose  perfection  in  Christ  appeared  to  be 
more  complete  in  all  humility,  simplicity,  and  devout 
elevation  of  soul.  Through  an  extraordinary  ex- 
perience of  bereavements  and  afflictions,  hers  was  a 


MAKERS.  157 

spirit  like  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  to  be  found  unto 
honor  and  glory  and  blessing  at  the  appearance  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

"  While  yet  able  to  go  in  and  out  among  the 
people,  whose  sorrow  that  she  knew  and  had  access 
to  was  not  cheered  and  brightened?  Whose  want 
was  not  relieved  according  to  her  ability?  Whose 
need  was  not  supplied  and  darkness  dispersed  by  the 
blessing  she  drew  from  the  throne  of  Grace  by  her 
power  to  prevail  with  God?  Her  unobtrusive  kind- 
nesses were  so  many;  her  systematic  charities  and 
attentions  to  organized  effort,  its  stimulation  and 
development,  its  practical  efficiency,  were  so  con- 
stant, that  one  could  but  be  surprised  that  she  found 
time  for  these  things  from  a  busy  home  life,  where  all 
waited  on  her  touch  and  her  words. 

"  Her  life  has  been  a  benediction;  her  example 
has  been  glorious  and  helpful;  her  testimony  to  the 
power  of  Jesus,  his  love,  and  his  fulness,  has  been 
clear  and  constant;  her  death  was  peace,  and  her 
memory  is  blessed." 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES. 


WILLIAM  WILLIS. 


I. 

THE  INFLUENCE  OF  METHODISM  IN  THE 

HISTORY  OF  THE  AMERICAN 

REPUBLIC. 

BY   WILLIAM    G.    STARR,    D.    D. 

It  is  there — like  the  veining  of  a  mountain  with 
threads  of  gold.  It  is  there — like  God's  sunlight 
interwoven  with  every  leaf  and  twig  and  branch  upon 
that  Tree  of  Life  which  overshadows  our  native  land. 

Not  as  a  political  factor,  but  as  a  moral  force  it 
has  shaped  in  part  the  governmental  fabric  around 
us  to-day.  It  did  not  seek  to  control  the  State  by 
the  shrewd  management  of  the  ecclesiastical  diplo- 
matist. It  took  God's  Word  in  hand,  and  gave  it  to 
the  people,  and  in  this  way  sought  to  lift  citizenship 
to  the  high  standard  of  that  divine  idea  which  is  em- 
bodied in  the  truth  that  "  righteousness  exalteth  a 
nation." 

Some  years  ago  we  were  startled  by  a  discovery  of 
the  footprints  of  giants  in  the  sandstone  of  Central 
Nevada.  Huge  tracks  were  found  forty  feet  down 
in  a  prison  quarry,  and  thinking  men  were  puzzled 
to  know  who  passed  that  way  thousands  of  years  ago. 

ii  [161] 


162  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

But,  without  the  help  of  a  revelation  to  startle  any- 
body, I  can  tell  you  of  footprints  on  this  globe  which 
time  will  preserve  even  more  carefully  than  if  they 
were  imprinted  upon  rock.  They  are  the  footsteps 
of  earnest  workers  in  the  great  kingdom  of  God — 
true  men  and  women  who  lived  well  and  left  behind 
them  lasting  memorials  of  their  usefulness.  They 
were  the  pioneers  of  Methodism  in  this  country — 
the  advance-guard  of  a  mighty  army  which  is  still 
passing  in  splendid  procession,  and  will  continue 
"  marching  on  till  Jesus  comes." 

Never  has  the  human  brain  been  busier  than  now 
to  solve  the  problem  of  the  double  authorship  of  the 
history  of  this  world.  Two  theories  have  been  ad- 
vanced to  explain  the  life  and  progress  of  humanity 
on  earth.  One  teaches  that  all  history  is  the  play  of 
chance  forces.  Accident  rules  in  the  place  of  law. 
Civil  commotions  and  religious  upheavals,  precipi- 
tated into  the  arena  of  current  events  by  unaccount- 
able and  unapproachable  sources  of  power,  are  to  be 
classed  with  the  apparently  causeless  drifting  of  a 
thistle-down  in  the  motionless  atmosphere.  The 
other  commands  us  to  believe  that  everything  hap- 
pens because  it  must  so  happen.  The  destiny  of 
man  is  diked  on  both  sides,  and  he  runs  in  a  groove 
because  he  can  not  help  it.  This  view  converts 
every  one  of  us  into  a  machine,  without  will  or  pur- 
pose, and  therefore  without  responsibility.  More- 
over it  eliminates  God  from  the  management  of  a 
world  which  he  built  for  his  own  glory,  and  releases 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  163 

both  man  and  nature  from  the  necessity  of  contact 
with  a  divine  government.  Both  of  these  methods 
of  explaining  events  are  to  be  discarded,  because  they 
compel  us  to  believe  that  the  life-work  of  every  man 
is  the  result  of  either  chance  or  fate. 

There  is  only  one  solution  of  this  problem.  It  is 
this :  Underneath  all  human  history  there  is  a  divine 
order  to  which  the  life  of  the  world  is  subject.  In 
perfect  harmony  with  this  supernatural  order,  each 
one  of  us  is  invested  with  moral  freedom,  will-power, 
and  full  responsibility. 

We  live  under  a  reign  of  law.  God  is  ruler  over 
all.  We  can  work  for  him  or  against  him.  A  little 
distance  ahead  of  us  is  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ. 
No  man  was  ever  tossed  up  to  the  track  of  duty  by 
the  out-burst  of  an  unseen  volcano.  We  are  what 
we  will  to  be. 

Just  at  this  point  we  mark  the  movement  of  a  di- 
vine hand.  A  line  is  drawn,  and  a  danger-signal  is 
displayed.  God  now  calls  attention  to  the  fact  that 
he  is  there — and  at  once  every  reverent  spirit  obeys 
his  sovereign  will.  In  the  language  of  an  American 
essayist :  "  There  is  a  bound  beyond  which  even  the 
free  will  of  man  does  not — I  do  not  say  cannot — in 
any  case  go.  The  great  aspirations  of  some  con- 
querors have  been  almost  gratified,  but  in  the  almost 
lies  the  secret  of  historical  progress.  They  failed  on 
the  eve  of  satisfaction.  It  was  thus  with  Alexander 
on  the  Oxus,  and  with  Napoleon  at  Leipsic  and  Mos- 
cow and  Waterloo.  The  world  came  just  to  their 


164  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

hand,  and  then  the  prize  slipped  away.  Had  the 
human  plan  been  wrought  out,  there  would  have 
been  retrogression  for  universal  man.  General  con- 
quest is  not  the  will  of  a  benevolent  God.  We  are 
an  enigma  to  ourselves,  unless  with  the  torch  of  re- 
vealed truth  we  throw  light  upon  our  pathway  in  the 
past.  We  have  permitted  Draper  and  Buckle  and 
the  whole  materialistic  school  to  go  on  with  their 
destructive  work*  of  showing  that  all  human  history 
can  be  explained  on  the  ground  of  laws  of  climate 
and  temperament,  and  the  like,  and  we  have  failed 
to  thunder  out  our  conviction  that,  as  God  has  been 
honored  and  his  law  obeyed,  men  have  steadily  im- 
proved in  all  the  elements  of  civilization;  and  that 
when  they  have  failed  here  they  have  retrograded 
toward  barbarism." 

Beyond  all  question,  the  rise  and  progress  of  Meth- 
odism in  this  country  is  a  most  notable  illustration 
of  the  double  authorship  of  history.  Our  fathers 
sought  to  follow  the  will  of  God  in  the  salvation  of 
the  people — and  all  Heaven  seemed  to  be  with  us  in 
the  work.  Under  the  inspiration  and  leadership  of 
our  Lord,  we  are  still  toiling  year  after  year  to  lift 
the  nation  nearer  to  God;  and  it  makes  us  justly 
proud  of  our  record  to  know  that  the  history  of  the 
American  Republic  would  lack  a  large  chapter  in 
the  department  of  religious  achievement  if  the  work 
of  the  Methodists  were  left  out. 

Before  I  go  farther  it  is  right  that  I  should  give 
a  few  dates  which  will  explain  the  meaning  of  several 
of  our  "  Centennial  "  celebrations. 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  165 

1.  The  "Methodist  Societies"  were  organized  in 
1739 — hence  the  centenary  of  1839  pointed  to  the 
one  hundredth  year  of  Methodism  as  a  revival  move- 
ment. 

2.  In   1766  the  first  Methodist  preachers  began 
their  work  in  America;  and  so,  in  -1866  our  brethren 
of  the  M.  E.  Church  (North)  celebrated  the  cente- 
nary of  Methodist  preaching  in  America. 

3.  In   1784  Dr.   Coke  and  Francis  Asbury  were 
recognized  as  superintendents  or  bishops,  and  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was  organized  in  the 
city  of  Baltimore.     In  the  year  1884,  then,  we  cele- 
brated the  Centenary  of  organic  Methodism  in  Amer- 
ica.   That  was  the  one  hundredth  year  of  the  church 
life  of  Methodism  in  this  country. 

4.  Our  Richmond  demonstration  commemorates 
the  origin  of  our  Church  in  this  city  in  the  year 
1799 — just  one  century  ago. 

One  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  in  America  has 
said  that  "  for  the  purposes  of  history,  centuries  are 
arbitrary  divisions  of  time,  but  they  are  convenient 
when  we  wish  to  sum  up  results."  A  great  social 
or  religious  movement  may  overlap  them,  and,  at 
the  end  of  any  given  hundred  years,  may  offer  no 
special  reason  for  looking  back  to  the  beginning. 
Still,  a  completed  century  is  a  good  resting-place 
from  which  to  count  the  steps  by  which  a  nation  or  a 
church  has  been  slowly  traveling  down  from  the 
past  to  the  present. 

Says  a  writer :     "  Unless  we  study  the  facts  in 


166  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

detail,  we,  as  Methodists,  can  scarcely  appreciate 
the  changes  in  church  and  country  since  1784. 
When  the  '  Christmas  Conference '  was  held  at  the 
close  of  this  year,  none  save  a  prophet  could  have 
foretold  of  Methodism  such  an  errand  of  destiny. 
In  1775  there  were  in  the  whole  country,  less  than 
two  thousand  churches  and  fifteen  hundred  minis- 
ters; and  among  them  all  there  were  but  few  Metho- 
dist preachers.  In  1784  the  Baptists  had  nearly  five 
hundred  churches  and  as  many  ministers.  The  Con- 
gregationalists  had  six  hundred  ministers,  and  the 
Presbyterians  one  hundred  and  seventy-five.  Meth- 
odism had  made  rapid  gains  since  1766,  and  counted 
one  hundred  and  four  preachers  and  fifteen  thousand 
members." 

The  same  writer  tells  us  that  "  President  Stiles  of 
Yale,  in  an  important  sermon,  predicted  that  by  the 
end  of  another  century  the  Wesleyans  would  disap- 
pear and  be  heard  of  no  more." 

In  the  year  1784  measures  were  taken  for  the  for- 
mation of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  in  this 
country,  but  the  plan  was  not  carried  into  effect  until 
1790.  Roman  Catholicism  in  the  United  States  was 
as  yet  without  an  episcopate,  and,  of  course,  "  no 
bishop,  no  church  " ;  so  that  the  Methodist  Church, 
as  an  organized  church,  is  older  than  both  the  Epis- 
copal and  the  Roman  Catholic  Churches  in  this 
country. 

It  is  a  striking  fact  that  "  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  was  fully  organized  as  was  ours,  in  the  city 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  167 

of  Baltimore,  though  not  until  1789,  with  John  Car- 
roll, brother  to  one  of  the  signers  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  as  its  first  Bishop."  Asbury  and 
Carroll,  men  who  in  religious  belief  were  antipodal, 
set  out  from  the  same  city,  each  to  become  the  leader 
of  a  mighty  host.  "  They  fixed  upon  Baltimore," 
said  Bishop  Carroll,  "  because  it  was  the  oldest  town 
in  the  State  which  was  the  most  numerously  peopled 
by  the  followers  of  the  true  religion  in  America." 
Times  have  changed  in  regard  to  that  matter  also. 
"  Baltimore  is  now  distinctly  a  Methodist  center, 
and  Maryland  is  predominantly  a  Methodist  State." 

Perhaps  I  have  detained  you  too  long  already  with 
these  introductory  remarks.  We  are  here  to-night 
to  think  and  speak  of  "  The  influence  of  Methodism 
in  the  history  of  the  American  Republic." 

I.  First,  let  me  say  that  the  influence  of  the  Meth- 
odist movement  was  distinctly  felt  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  social  structure  from  which  the  govern- 
ment itself  received  shape  and  inspiration  for  its  great 
work  among  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

We  are  called  "  a  church  of  the  people."  All 
classes,  including  especially  the  masses,  are  repre- 
sented in  the  Methodist  Church.  This  leads  us  to 
ask,  What  is  the  nature  of  the  social  compact  which 
binds  together  the  great  body  of  the  American  peo- 
ple? I  reply,  It  is  a  union  of  all  hearts  and  all  in- 
terests for  the  promotion  of  the  public  good.  Under- 
neath the  ballot-box  is  this  fundamental  idea.  The 
appeal  is  to  the  people. 


168  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

The  next  question  to  be  asked  is  this :  What  part 
did  the  Methodists  take  in  the  creation  of  this  com- 
pact? I  answer: 

i.  The  social  nature  of  the  Methodist  religion 
made  the  Methodists  social  in  deportment  every- 
where, and  this  shaped  largely  the  sentiment  of 
brotherhood  among  the  people.  On  the  court- 
green,  in  the  public  road,  at  home,  in  the  company  of 
genial  friends  or  traveling  strangers — no  matter 
where,  the  Wesleyan  salutation  was  cordial,  and  its 
tendency  was  to  melt  down  barriers  and  make  all 
hearts  beat  as  one.  The  new  religionists  seemed  to 
demand  a  universal  application  of  the  Scripture  text, 
"As  touching  brotherly  love,  ye  need  not  that  I 
write  unto  you,  for  ye  yourselves  are  taught  of  God 
to  love  one  another."  And  yet  there  was  a  method 
in  the  manifestation  of  this  love.  Around  a  given 
center  ten  thousand  concentric  rings  may  whirl,  but 
the  condition  of  uniform  motion  must  be  found  in 
the  fact  that  every  point  upon  the  circumference  of 
each  circle  must  be  equi-distant  from  the  common 
center.  The  early  Methodist  kept  his  Saviour  at  the 
very  center  of  his  spiritual  life,  and  every  point  of  his 
moral  being  seemed  to  revolve  in  harmony  around 
the  fraternal  love  of  Christ  for  the  multitude.  That 
gave  him  an  impulse  to  meet  and  talk  with  men.  He 
longed  to  lift  them  to  a  better  life  and  save  them 
forever. 

It  was  Henry  Clay  who  said  "  the  fraternal  spirit 
exhibited  by  these  brotherly  Methodists  always 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  169 

makes  me  feel  happy  and  at  home  in  their  company," 
but  he  did  not  emphasize  their  loyalty  to  Christ  as 
the  source  of  their  loving-kindness  to  all  men.  Some- 
times their  uncompromising  devotion  to  the  cardinal 
doctrines  of  the  word  of  God  invoked  temporary 
unpopularity,  but  they  were  never  without  friends 
even  in  the  ranks  of  their  opponents.  They  con- 
tended that  social  convulsions  and  national  sins  are 
the  result  of  certain  conditions  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people,  and  that  souls  must  be  won  to  make  reforms 
possible  and  permanent.  This  soul-winning,  they 
claimed,  could  be  assured  only  by  loving  men  now 
as  if  Christ  still  walked  the  earth. 

What  would  they  have  thought  of  the  modern  doc- 
trine that  "  the  instincts  of  the  masses  "  can  always 
be  relied  upon  to  elevate  the  human  race?  The  in- 
stinct of  the  native  African  is  theft.  Murder  domi- 
nates the  Moslem.  Deceit  is  the  characteristic  of 
the  Sicilian.  The  instinct  of  the  French  masses 
is — revolution.  The  Methodists  contended  that 
what  a  nation  needs  is  a  correct  national  character, 
and  that  none  save  Christ  could  give  it.  In  this 
country  Methodism  wielded  a  wonderful  influence 
just  at  that  danger-point,  and  saved  the  republic  by 
seeking  to  save  the  men  and  the  mothers  at  home. 
An  English  historian  has  said  that  the  Wesleyan 
movement  rescued  England  from  the  result  of  the 
French  Revolution.  An  impress  of  like  character 
was  wrought  upon  the  popular  mind  in  this  country 
by  those  who  planted  our  Church  all  over  this  con- 
tinent. 


170  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

This  process  of  training  the  people  can  be  easily 
explained.  The  Methodist  preacher  aimed  to  create 
the  best  social  conditions  by  regenerating  the  indi- 
vidual rather  than  by  tampering  with  legislative  as- 
semblies. To  secure  this  end,  access  to  the  people 
was  necessary,  and  our  itinerant  system  supplied  the 
very  plan  by  which  the  masses  and  our  leaders  could 
be  brought  face  to  face.  At  the  fireside  in  winter, 
and  under  the  shade-trees  around  the  little  cottage  in 
summer,  the  people  and  their  teachers  met. 

At  a  public  meeting,  Senator  William  Ballard  Pres- 
ton once  said :  "  I  reverence  the  Methodist  preach- 
ers who  wrought  such  miracles  of  power  in  moulding 
and  drilling  our  raw  population  in  Virginia  and  all 
over  the  land."  Commodore  Matthew  F.  Maury 
declared  that  the  conservative  forces  of  Methodism 
were  a  safeguard  not  only  of  church  life  but  of  the 
national  life  as  well.  Said  he,  "  They  move  with 
great  deliberation,  and  the  country  will  never  be 
harmed  by  either  their  conservatism  or  their  enthu- 
siasm in  matters  of  religion."  Senator  R.  M.  T. 
Hunter  said  in  1861 :  "The  white  Methodists  of 
Virginia  outnumber  nearly  all  the  other  white  pro- 
fessors of  religion  in  the  State  put  together,  and  they 
always  seem  to  be  willing  to  accept  their  share  of  the 
burden  of  responsibility  which  comes  to  them  on  that 
account."  Such  has  been  the  testimony  of  thou- 
sands of  the  leading  men  in  our  country. 

2.  In  the  creation  of  the  social  compact,  not  only 
did  the  Methodists  teach  the  value  of  a  spirit  of  fra- 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  171 

ternity  among  the  people,  but  they  also  set  an  exam- 
ple of  submission  to  authority  on  account  of  their 
reverence  for  law.  This  is  the  real  source  of  their 
conservative  influence.  Our  method  of  government 
is  hedged  in  by  the  supremacy  of  law.  Our  plan  of 
ministerial  supply  providing  a  man  for  every  place 
and  a  place  for  every  man,  is  in  accordance  with  the 
operation  of  an  invariable  statute.  The  limitation 
of  the  pastoral  term,  together  with  many  other  fea- 
tures of  our  ecclesiastical  system,  points  to  a  law- 
making  power,  and  we  submit  with  reverence  to  the 
impartial  administration  of  our  own  peculiar  form  of 
Church  government.  Our  motto  seems  to  have 
been,  Personal  liberty  without  the  freedom  of  the 
mob,  and  lawful  restraint  without  ecclesiastical  des- 
potism. The  masses  have  felt  the  force  of  this 
through  the  teaching  and  practice  of  our  own  con- 
gregations and  our  law-abiding  pastors,  and  in  this 
way  our  influence  has  been  felt  in  support  of  well- 
regulated  government. 

James  Monroe  is  reported  to  have  said :  "  I  honor 
the  memory  of  the  great  men  who  founded  the  Meth- 
odist Church  in  America :  they  taught  us  how  to  rev- 
erence the  sovereignty  of  law."  Chief  Justice  Mar- 
shall said,  at  an  early  day  in  our  history,  "  The  Meth- 
odists are  destined  to  shape  much  of  the  public 
thought  of  this  country."  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee  said, 
'  The  Methodists  in  this  land  exert  a  controlling 
influence  over  the  public  mind.  No  political  party 
could  be  found  that  would  attempt  to  ride  over  the 
verdict  of  that  church  upon  a  distinctly  moral  issue." 


m  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Permit  me  just  here  to  make  honorable  mention 
of  those  hardy  path-finders  who  went  ahead  of  us 
a  hundred  years  ago  and  blazed  the  way  along  the 
line  of  conquest.  A  few  intrepid  men  on  horseback 
undertook  to  pit  their  views  of  divine  truth  against 
the  canons  and  creeds  of  men  and  churches  that  had 
resources  by  the  million  at  hand  to  crush  out  all 
adventurous  opposition,  but  the  mounted  rangers 
in  hedge  and  highways  went  on  singing  and  preach- 
ing, as  if  they  could  not  see  the  barricades  that  were 
built  to  impede  their  victorious  advance. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  century,  the  Apostolic 
Church  had  won  less  than  five  hundred  thousand 
adherents.  At  the  end  of  the  first  century  ot  Metho- 
dism we  had,  in  1885,  more  than  five  million  of 
members,  having  outstripped  the  Fathers,  whom  we 
honor,  just  ten  to  one  in  the  results  of  earnest  work. 

The  pioneer  Methodist  preachers,  who  were  the 
leaders  in  this  movement,  were  generally  men  of  fine 
physique — broad-shouldered,  strong-armed,  with 
muscles  of  densest  texture,  capable  of  any  test  of  phy- 
sical endurance.  Few  among  the  number  fell  below 
the  standard  of  an  art-model  for  the  hand  of  Phidias. 
They  were  like  the  chosen  members  of  the  general 
staff  of  a  field-marshal — always  ready  for  the  word 
of  command,  and  never  so  happy  as  when  a  forlorn 
hope  held  out  a  challenge  to  spirits  as  daring  as  any 
that  ever  followed  the  crest  of  mail-clad  knight  to  the 
levelling  of  battle-scarred  walls  in  the  high  noon  of 
the  age  of  chivalry. 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  17S 

It  requires  a  brave  heart  to  undertake  the  work 
of  a  reformer  in  the  early  days  of  a  newly-settled 
country,  when  reverence  for  sacred  things  is  a  rarity 
rather  than  a  rule — when  the  preacher  must  face 
mobs,  if  he  is  to  have  a  hearing  at  all,  and  submit 
to  caricature  and  insult  and  injury,  and  perhaps  ride 
up  to  the  little  chapel  on  the  roadside  through  a 
shower  of  stones.  It  requires  the  courage  of  a  fear- 
less man  to  go  into  the  untouched  forest,  and  cut 
out  the  tangled  undergrowth  and  risk  the  fangs  of 
venomous  reptiles,  or  hew  down  whole  acres  of 
timber,  or  drain  the  swamp  and  fight  back  the  mon- 
ster of  the  bear-den  or  the  wolf-pack,  in  order  that 
canals  may  be  dug  for  drainage  and  the  new-ground 
prepared  for  the  first  assault  of  the  sub-soil  plow. 

Just  such  a  life  it  was  which  was  led  by  the  early 
Methodist  preachers.  It  was  the  life  of  a  rifleman 
on  the  frontier — of  a  reformer  among  courtly  men 
as  well  as  ruffians — of  a  lumberman  in  the  wilderness 
with  no  other  reliance  for  success  save  the  temper  of 
his  axe  and  the  promise  of  God. 

Educated  in  the  class-room  these  men  knew  how 
to  pray.  Wise  in  the  use  of  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
they  knew  how  to  talk,  and  when  to  be  silent.  Pru- 
dent, but  persistent — modest,  but  brave  when  the 
time  came  to  act — clothed  with  the  garment  of  hu- 
mility, but  ever  ready  to  let  the  world  know  that  God 
had  also  given  to  each  one  the  mantle  of  a  prophet — 
social,  but  serious — terrific  in  denunciation,  but 
tender  as  the  pulse  of  a  babe  in  winning  a  penitent 


174  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

to  Jesus — they  were  a  brotherhood  of  heroes,  fit  to 
have  borne  an  equal  share  with  Peter  and  Paul  in  the 
sorrows  and  dangers  of  the  first  century  of  the  Apos- 
tolic Church.  To-day  we  honor  their  memory,  and 
pray  God  that  the  inspiration  of  their  holy  lives  may 
be  a  benediction  to  the  Church  until  the  end  of  the 
world. 

II.  Again.  Not  only  was  the  influence  of  the 
Methodist  movement  felt  in  the  growth  of  public 
opinion  in  this  country,  but,  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years  it  has  been  an  important  factor  in  the  promo- 
tion of  industrial  enterprise  among  the  people.  The 
Methodists  have  always  accepted  the  doctrine  that 

"  In  His  furrowed  fields  around  us 

God  has  work  for  all  who  will; 
Those  who  may  not  scatter  broadcast, 

Yet  may  plant  it  hill  by  hill. 
Soon  Life's  spring-time  will  be  over, 

And  its  autumn  days  will  come; 
Happy,  then,  will  be  those  workmen 

Who  have  sheaves  to  carry  home." 

The  Wesleyan  dictum  read,  "  All  at  work,  and 
always  at  work."  Idle  hands  never  built  the  palace 
of  a  king.  Our  people  were  taught  that  some  honest 
pursuit  in  the  great  industrial  world  was  necessary 
not  only  to  obtain  a  livelihood  but  to  meet  the  tithe- 
gathering  of  our  Lord.  Business  enterprise  in  this 
country  has  been  promoted  by  the  Wesleyan  faith  in 
three  separate  ways: 

i.  By  association  of  ideas.  The  Methodist  reli- 
gion calls  for  a  full  day's  work,  as  we  are  taught  to 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  175 

live  only  one  day  at  a  time;  and  it  appeals  to  its  ad- 
herents to  finish  their  life-work  before  they  die.  A 
religious  career  which  begins  with  conscious  salva- 
tion to  expel  doubt,  and  is  rounded  up  with  the  evi- 
dence of  Christian  perfection  at  the  close  of  a  conse- 
crated life,  will  naturally  impress  the  minds  of  think- 
ing men  whether  they  are  in  the  Church  or  outside 
of  it.  It  was  so  in  the  past.  Like  the  swing  of  a 
scythe  in  a  harvest  field,  our  conscientious  convic- 
tions as  to  the  best  use  to  be  made  of  time  and  oppor- 
tunity, commanded  and  controlled  the  views  of  all 
who  were  inclined  to  sympathize  with  us  in  our  work. 
In  this  way  our  influence  has  been  felt  by  both  the 
working  classes  and  the  capitalists  in  every  decade 
of  the  past  century. 

2.  By  the  inspiration  of  a  life-purpose  to  be  always 
in  earnest,  the  Wesleyans  have  been  a  blessing  to  the 
business  world  around  them.  Their  idea  of  gospel 
measure  is  "  good  measure,  pressed  down,  and 
shaken  together  and  running  over."  They  believe 
their  Lord  when  he  says,  "  I  am  come  that  they 
might  have  life,  and  that  they  might  have  it  more 
abundantly."  This  extatic  consciousness  of  super- 
natural life  compels  them  to  shout  sometimes.  Their 
enthusiasm  has  made  the  whole  country  enthusiastic. 

A  hundred  years  ago  there  were  four  Wesleyan 
rules  in  common  use  for  the  government  of  business 
life.  First.  "Make  all  you  can;  save  all  you  can; 
give  all  you  can."  Second.  "  For  the  financial  sup- 
port of  the  work  of  God  bring  a  penny  a  week  and  a 


176  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

shilling  a  quarter."  Third.  "  Do  good,  especially  to 
them  that  are  of  the  household  of  faith;  employing 
them  preferably  to  others,  buying  of  one  another, 
helping  each  other  in  business;  and  so  much  the 
more  because  the  world  will  love  its  own,  and  them 
only."  Fourth.  "  Never  borrow  without  a  probability 
of  paying,  or  take  up  goods  without  a  probability  of 
paying  for  them."  In  obedience  to  these  rules  the 
early  Methodists  usually  prospered  in  the  manage- 
ment of  their  industrial  pursuits.  They  made  money 
and  used  it  for  the  glory  of  God.  They  were  often 
so  zealous  in  conspicuous  fields  of  enterprise  that 
Chief  Justice  Chase  used  to  say :  "  They  can  pray 
harder,  talk  faster,  fight  the  devil  longer,  and  sing 
louder  when  the  game  is  coming  in  than  any  other 
hunters  on  the  continent."  They  were  as  tireless  as 
a  circular  saw,  and  were  never  content  to  stop  work 
until  all  the  timber  had  been  prepared  for  the  Master's 
use.  The  outside  world  watched  and  applauded  our 
zeal,  and  its  effect  was  felt  in  the  everyday  life  of  all 
the  people. 

3.  Moreover  we  have  reached  the  working  classes 
by  our  sympathy  and  practical  benevolence.  Many 
of  the  neglected  ones  have  toiled  all  the  more  in- 
dustriously because  they  felt  that  they  were  looked 
at  and  cared  for  by  somebody.  This  conviction  has 
given  a  sense  of  rest  to  many  a  troubled  soul,  and 
at  times  it  has  arrested  a  spirit  of  insubordination 
which  might  have  brought  sorrow  to  the  homes  of 
the  poor  as  well  as  the  rich.  A  Methodist  has  never 


CORNELIUS   CREW. 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  m 

been  known  to  lead  a  labor  riot  in  this  or  any  other 
land.  Our  people  seem  to  have  been  so  busy  in  the 
effort  to  make  an  honest  living  that  they  had  no 
time  to  mingle  with  the  boisterous  throng. 

This  earnest,  single-hearted,  unremitting  devotion 
to  duty  has  been  as  frequently  attested  by  the 
capitalist  as  by  the  wage-earner.  Amos  Lawrence, 
of  Boston,  said :  "  I  get  more  work  out  of  a  live 
Methodist  than  out  of  anybody  else."  Commodore 
Vanderbilt,  of  New  York,  remarked  in  the  company 
of  Dr.  Charles  F.  Deems :  "  I  can  tell  a  Methodist 
what  to  do,  and  then  go  away  and  leave  him,  but  the 
most  of  men  have  to  be  told  and  sometimes  pushed 
until  the  work  is  done."  The  provision  which  the 
Methodists  have  made  for  preaching  the  gospel  to 
the  poor  will  never  be  rewarded  until  we  reach  the 
next  world. 

III.  Again,  not  only  has  Methodist  influence  been 
an  element  of  power  in  shaping  the  social  and  indus- 
trial interests  of  the  republic,  but  the  educational 
development  of  the  nation  has  been  in  large  measure 
the  result  of  the  training  of  the  people  by  Methodist 
preachers  who  established  schools  wherever  they  were 
sent  to  do  the  work  of  God. 

We  Methodists  do  not  believe  in  the  evolution  of 
the  human  race,  but  we  do  believe  in  the  evolution 
of  the  human  mind.  Thousands  of  years  ago  the 
Chinese  decided  that  their  civilization  had  reached 
perfection.  It  was  decreed  that  any  attempt  to  alter 
or  improve  it  should  be  met  with  the  death-penalty. 


178  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

After  a  time  it  began  to  die.  Conditions  of  life 
change,  and  the  customs  of  a  people  must  change 
accordingly.  The  Wesleyans  have  always  sought  to 
face  the  future;  and  it  was  easy  to  see  in  the  outstart 
of  our  work  in  this  country  that  we  must  either 
educate  the  young  who  were  providentially  com- 
mitted to  our  care  or  surrender  our  commission  to 
lead  those  whom  we  were  called  to  save.  Schools 
were  established  at  once.  The  printing-press  was 
used  to  disseminate  knowledge;  out-of-the-way  dis- 
tricts of  territory  were  visited  by  the  clerical  book- 
agent;  tracts  and  catechisms  were  distributed;  Sab- 
bath Schools  were  instituted  for  the  instruction  of 
our  children  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  a  general  spirit 
of  enquiry  was  awakened  among  the  masses.  From 
that  time  we  have  been  an  educating  agent  in  the 
land  as  well  as  an  evangelistic  Church. 

It  has  been  well  said  that,  "  In  Methuselah's  time, 
if  a  man  committed  murder,  no  one  outside  of  his 
own  tribe  ever  heard  of  it  until  the  nineteenth 
century  archaeologists  dug  up  and  interpreted  the 
tablet  which  recorded  it."  The  world  moves.  We 
cannot  afford  to  go  back  and  pitch  a  tent  in  the  long 
ago.  We  planted  then  and  left  the  growth  to  God. 
But  it  is  also  true  that  our  past  thoughts  are  still 
at  work  in  the  souls  of  those  we  met  in  other  days. 
The  mental  evolution  is  constantly  going  on.  Wire- 
less telegraphy  will  one  day  conduct  our  correspon- 
dence. Now  it  is  human  philanthropy  to  which  we 
are  to  look  for  the  tuition  of  the  multitude  and  the 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  179 

recasting  of  our  own  forms  of  thought  in  the  lives 
of  those  who  constitute  the  present  generation. 

The  Methodists  saw  at  an  early  day  that  the 
school-room,  next  to  the  pulpit,  was  essential  in  order 
that  a  religious  life  might  not  be  hindered  by  igno- 
rance and  vice.  It  was  through  their  work  in  part 
that  the  education  of  the  masses  became  one  of  the 
safeguards  of  the  republic.  It  is  a  fact  that  the 
Methodists  to-day  have  a  larger  number  of  denomi- 
national schools  than  any  other  evangelical  denomi- 
nation in  the  country.  Our  collegiate  institutions 
number  three  hundred.  This  source  of  power  alone 
has  given  to  our  church  a  notable  place  in  the  educa- 
tional work  of  the  nation. 

It  would  be  an  act  of  neglect  on  my  part  if  I 
should  fail  to  mention  the  extraordinary  methods 
of  tuition  which  were  adopted  by  the  itinerant  Metho- 
dist preachers  in  the  heroic  days  of  the  Church.  They 
went  everywhere  and  met  the  people  in  their  homes. 
They  carried  with  them  a  library  of  information 
gathered  from  private  study  and  personal  observa- 
tion. They  told  everything  they  knew.  When  the 
Annual  Conference  adjourned  they  exchanged  ap- 
pointments. New  pastors  gave  new  items  of  infor- 
mation to  the  settlers  in  each  new  field  of  labor.  So 
the  work  went  on  with  a  divine  impulse,  providing 
a  new  chain  of  instructors  and  pupils  in  the  great 
university  of  the  people.  After  twenty-five  years  of 
such  talking  and  listening  the  Methodist  layman,  as 
the  result  of  personal  contact  with  his  Methodist 


180  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

pastor,  found  himself  to  be  the  possessor  of  quite  a 
liberal  education.  In  many  homes  this  wandering 
prophet  of  God  was  the  only  teacher,  and  the  family 
circle  was  the  only  lecture-hall  in  which  the  residents 
of  a  whole  neighborhood  might  ever  have  a  chance 
to  learn  the  truth.  This  peculiar  educational  process 
was  the  natural  outcome  of  that  feature  of  our 
ecclesiastical  system  which  we  call  "  the  itinerant 
ministry." 

Sometimes  we  are  told  that  the  inflexible  rule 
upon  which  it  rests  will  become  a  burden  to  our 
learned  divines  in  the  twentieth  century,  but  we  have 
no  fear  that  a  lack  of  loyalty  will  ever  harm  our  plan 
of  work.  It  was  proclaimed  all  over  the  land  between 
the  years  1760  and  1840  that  the  Methodist  itinerancy 
would  soon  perish  from  sheer  feebleness  of  the  ap- 
pointing power  to  secure  obedience.  There  were 
some  secessions  of  men  and  churches,  but  the  spirit 
of  God  held  us  together  and  sanctified  the  new  mode 
of  sending  pastors  to  congregations.  And  now  as 
we  look  back  the  system  is  seen  to  have  been  nothing 
less  than  an  inspiration  designed  of  God  to  introduce 
a  new  era  of  church  work.  There  was  a  necessity  for 
it  which  never  could  have  been  met  in  any  other  way. 
That  necessity  exists  to-day,  and  it  will  continue  to 
exist  so  long  as  church  machinery  is  believed  to  be 
helpful  to  the  work  of  God.  I  believe  that  when 
the  Angel  of  the  resurrection  comes  there  will  be 
thousands  of  Methodist  preachers  who  will  simply 
leave  their  horses  and  their  saddle-bags  out  there 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  181 

in  the  road  and  go  straight  home  to  greet  King 
Immanuel  on  his  throne. 

Let  me  tell  you  plainly  that,  under  the  guidance 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  itinerancy  has  been,  through 
all  these  long  years  of  driving  work,  the  right  arm 
of  Methodism  the  world  over.  No  other  denomina- 
tion of  Christians  in  this  country  has  so  few  vacant 
pulpits;  and  none  has  such  facilities  for  putting  the 
right  man  in  the  right  place  at  the  right  time. 
Modify  it  we  can  in  whatever  way  we  may  deem  the 
wisest — still,  the  system  will  remain  as  an  integral 
part  of  our  distinctive  church  history.  Other  Chris- 
tian churches,  whose  ministers  have  become  itinerant 
in  fact  without  the  order  and  fitness  of  law  like  that 
in  the  Methodist  Church,  might  be  greatly  bene- 
fited— I  say  it  with  all  deference — by  some  adaptation 
of  this  effective  system  for  supplying  every  church 
with  a  suitable  pastor.  Let  no  man  dream  that  we 
will  ever  surrender  our  "  itinerant  ministers." 

In  the  center  of  the  broad  dome  of  the  Pantheon 
at  Rome  there  is  a  circular  opening  more  than 
twenty  feet  in  diameter.  In  the  stormy  autumn  the 
rain  descends  through  it  upon  the  pavement  of  stone 
beneath,  which  is  a  tesselated  flooring,  collected  by 
skillful  hands  from  many  quarries  widely  separated 
from  each  other.  Each  representative  of  the  rock- 
beds  of  conquered  provinces  shares  equally  with 
every  other  cube  of  stone.  The  rain  comes  down 
upon  all  alike.  And  then,  when  the  winter  is  over 
and  gone  and  the  March  winds  are  blowing  fresh 


188  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

and  keen  from  the  tops  of  Alpine  ranges,  it  is  a  joy 
and  a  comfort  to  the  sentinel  within  the  building  to 
halt  where  the  sunshine  falls  and  warm  his  chilled 
fingers  in  the  life-giving  beam.  So  it  is  that  the 
Methodist  itinerancy  provides  for  each  and  all  alike. 
If  times  are  hard  and  the  work  is  rough  and  human 
hearts  are  not  what  they  ought  to  be,  then  the  gentle 
rain  of  pity  descends  upon  each  and  all  alike.  And 
when  the  season  of  dreary  days  and  long,  dark  nights 
has  passed  away,  then  the  genial  sunshine  of  a  better 
day  comes  with  generous  greeting  and  a  touch  of 
warmth  to  every  faithful  sentinel  whose  devotion  to 
the  church  still  holds  his  feet  to  the  same  round  of 
duty,  and  whose  brave  heart  still  beats  in  loving 
fellowship  with  those  who  share  with  him  the  trials 
and  the  triumphs  of  a  prophet's  life.  God  bless  for- 
ever the  wonderful  work  which  has  been  wrought  by 
our  itinerant  ministry.  It  has  been  the  only  teacher 
of  millions  in  the  homes  of  the  American  people. 

IV.  Not  only  has  the  social,  industrial  and  educa- 
tional development  of  our  country  borne  testimony 
to  the  influence  of  Methodism  in  the  growth  of  the 
nation,  but  the  religious  status  of  the  land  could 
not  have  been  what  it  is  to-day  without  the  earnest 
evangelical  work  of  the  Methodists  during  the  past 
one  hundred  years.  Sweeping  revivals  of  religion 
have  marked  our  advance  during  every  decade  of  the 
church.  Our  own  membership  has  grown  rapidly  on 
that  account.  It  has  been  estimated  that  nine  mil- 
lions of  souls  have  been  brought  to  Christ  by  Metho- 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  18S 

dist  preachers  and  laymen  since  1840.  Of  that  num- 
ber nearly  three  million,  or  about  one-third  of  the 
number  converted  at  our  altars,  have  been  received 
into  other  churches.  We  are  glad  to  know  that 
other  religious  denominations  have  been  benefited 
by  the  results  of  our  work,  and  that  their  zeal  has 
been  stimulated  by  the  progressive  spirit  of  our 
people.  Much  of  that  spirituality  which  is  essential 
to  the  existence  of  Methodism  has  been  imparted  to 
evangelical  believers  whose  methods  of  ecclesiastical 
government  differ  widely  from  our  own. 

The  whole  country  has  been  quickened  by  the 
missionary  spirit  of  the  Methodists.  Philanthropists 
were  once  anxious  that  State  prisons  should  be  im- 
posing structures  whose  architectural  finish  might 
reflect  the  public  spirit  of  those  who  built  them.  The 
genius  of  Methodism  suggested  that  the  soul  of  the 
prisoner  was  worth  more  than  the  fine  cage  which 
held  him.  Our  gospel  net  was  made  for  deep  sea 
fishing,  and  it  has  been  hauled  with  marvelous  skill. 
I  could  give  you  a  number  of  facts  to  illustrate  these 
statements,  but  time  will  not  permit  and  I  must 
forbear.  Suffice  it  to  say,  our  record  of  comparative 
statistics  has  already  been  published  to  the  world. 
We  have  in  this  country  a  membership  of  six 
million — a  million  more  than  any  other  evangelical 
churclj.  We  are  training  seven  million  children  in 
our  Sunday  Schools  and  other  institutions  for  the 
education  of  the  young.  We  own  more  than  a 
hundred  million  dollars'  worth  of  church  property, 


184  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

and  not  a  day  passes  without  the  dedication  of  at 
least  four  new  churches  to  the  service  of  God.  We 
have  nearly  a  hundred  thousand  preachers,  itinerant 
and  lay,  employed  in  various  fields  of  labor. 

Governor  Rollins  of  New  Hampshire,  in  his  fast- 
day  proclamation  April  6,  1899,  said:  "The  decline 
of  the  Christian  religion,  particularly  in  our  rural 
districts,  is  a  marked  feature  of  the  times,  and  steps 
should  be  taken  to  remedy  it."  If  that  be  true  we 
know  nothing  of  it.  Our  mission  is  to  save  souls 
and  build  up  the  Church  of  God.  The  Lord  of  the 
harvest  is  on  that  side,  and  we  expect  to  continue 
bringing  in  the  sheaves.  This  land  is  dotted  all  over 
with  our  battle-flags  floating  triumphantly  from  the 
dismantled  towers  of  captured  strongholds.  Thank 
God,  we  are  ready  for  the  campaign  of  the  twentieth 
century,  and  with  the  help  of  prayer  and  faith  and  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  we  expect  to  make  full 
proof  of  our  ministry  as  colaborers  with  Jesus  in  the 
salvation  of  the  world. 

Sometimes  it  is  said  that  during  these  latter  days 
the  efficacy  of  prayer  has  been  limited  by  a  lack  of 
faith.  If  that  be  true,  we  are  not  witnesses  to  the 
truth.  Our  people  still  have  power  with  God  in 
prayer.  Thousands  of  authentic  instances  could  be 
given  to  attest  the  value  of  this  assertion.  Only  three 
or  four  are  needed  to  serve  my  purpose. 

A  Methodist  engineer  on  one  of  our  western  rail- 
roads recently  made  public  a  fact  which  illustrates  the 
possibility  of  an  immediate  answer  to  prayer  when 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  185 

the  petition  is  hoisted  by  faith  up  to  the  very  windows 
of  heaven.  He  knelt  down  one  afternoon  and  asked 
God  to  guide  him  over  the  road  and  give  him  a  safe 
return  to  his  loved  ones  at  home.  With  the  distinct 
conviction  that  when  danger  came  near  it  would  be 
pointed  out  and  mercifully  averted,  he  mounted  the 
cab  and  started.  That  night  he  pulled  a  train  of  ten 
passenger  cars  and  they  were  all  well  loaded.  He 
was  behind  time  and  was  anxious  to  make  a  certain 
point,  and  therefore  he  was  driving  his  engine  to  the 
utmost  speed  of  which  it  was  capable.  He  was  on 
a  section  of  the  road  usually  considered  the  best  piece 
of  work  on  the  line,  and  was  endeavoring  to  make  the 
most  of  it,  when  he  suddenly  received  a  premonitory 
warning  that  he  must  stop  the  train  at  once.  Some- 
thing seemed  to  tell  him  that  this  was  absolutely 
necessary  to  save  life.  He  looked  at  his  train.  It 
was  all  right.  He  strained  his  eyes  down  the  track, 
but  could  see  no  signal  of  danger.  He  listened  to 
the  working  of  his  engine.  It  was  in  the  very  best 
running  order.  Nevertheless  he  obeyed  the  super- 
natural conviction  which  had  now  fastened  itself  all 
the  more  firmly  upon  his  mind  and  resolved  to  halt 
the  train  at  once.  So  soon  as  this  was  done  he  took 
his  lamp  in  hand,  and  at  the  distance  of  only  sixty 
feet  ahead,  he  saw  what  convinced  him  that  God 
had  warned  him  in  answer  to  prayer.  Right  before 
him  was  a  switch  at  a  country  siding,  the  thought  of 
which  had  never  entered  his  mind.  It  had  not  been 
used  since  he  took  work  on  the  road  and  it  was  known 


186  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

to  be  spiked. .  Evidently  it  was  now  open  to  hurl  his 
train  from  the  track. 

This  switch  led  into  a  stone  quarry  from  whence 
material  for  bridges  had  been  taken,  and  the  switch 
was  left  there  in  case  stone  should  be  needed  at  any 
time,  but  it  was  always  kept  locked  and  the  switch-rail 
was  spiked.  That  night  it  was  open,  and  but  for  a 
divine  message  to  the  engineer,  the  engine  would 
have  dashed  through  it,  and  at  the  end  of  the  track — 
it  was  only  ten  rods  in  length — the  train  moving  at 
the  rate  of  fifty  miles  an  hour  would  have  struck  a 
solid  wall  of  rock.  Only  God  can  tell  what  might 
have  been  the  result  of  the  wreck.  The  warning 
given  to  the  faithful  railway  man  that  night  needs 
no  explanation  so  long  as  our  Lord  continues  to 
answer  prayer. 

In  the  year  1874  I  was  invited  to  take  part  in 
revival  work  in  the  county  of  Dare  on  the  coast  of 
North  Carolina.  To  reach  the  designated  point  in- 
land it  was  necessary  that  we  cross  a  body  of  water 
between  the  sandhills  along  the  ocean  shore  and  the 
forest-covered  mainland  about  twenty-six  miles  away. 
A  squall  struck  our  little  skiff  when  we  were  only 
half  way  over,  and  our  sail  was  torn  from  the  mast. 
In  a  few  moments  the  waves  of  the  sound  were  boiling 
around  us  and  threatening  to  engulf  us. 

Just  then  an  aged  Methodist  who  had  taken  pas- 
sage with  us  to  visit  the  home  of  his  son  in  Tyrrell 
County,  clasped  both  hands  in  prayer  and  said,  "  O 
God,  spare  us  now  and  let  the  high  sea  go  down 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  187 

and  bring  us  safe  to  land."  I  saw  the  cloud  above 
us  melt  away  in  less  than  ten  minutes.  There  was  a 
great  calm.  The  old  man's  prayer  was  answered  and 
we  gained  the  shore  in  safety. 

In  the  year  1885  while  I  was  pastor  of  a  church 
in  Charlottesville,  a  large  lumber-house  with  an  ad- 
joining factory  burned  down  at  noonday.  The  con- 
flagration threatened  the  destruction  of  the  town. 
The  wind  was  high  and  blowing  with  a  sort  of  fiendish 
fierceness  toward  the  heart  of  the  business  quarter, 
and  the  ruin  of  many  merchants  seemed  to  be  a 
question  of  only  a  few  hours  at  most.  Blazing 
brands  hurtling  through  the  hot  air  had  already 
kindled  the  dry,  warped  shingles  on  the  roofs  of  a 
score  of  houses,  and  three  of  the  principal  churches 
were  in  imminent  danger. 

Just  then  I  saw  an  aged  Methodist — a  devout 
woman  of  God — with  closed  eyes  pleading  with  her 
Lord  as  she  leaned  against  her  gate,  and  saying,  "  O 
Father,  spare  the  homes  of  thy  children  and  save  us 
from  this  terrible  fate."  The  wind  shifted  in  less  than 
five  minutes.  The  great  tongues  of  flame  and  smoke 
shot  away  from  the  edge  of  the  town  toward  the 
open  fields  adjacent,  where  there  was  nothing  to  con- 
sume. In  answer  to  prayer  God  did  save  the  homes 
of  his  people. 

When  I  was  pastor  of  the  Cumberland  Street 
Church  in  Norfolk,  a  member  of  our  Conference  was 
assisting  me  in  the  conduct  of  a  revival  service.  The 
meeting  seemed  to  promise  no  results  and  our  hearts 


188  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

were  anxious  about  the  work  of  the  Lord.  Across 
the  street  from  the  church  building  was  an  humble 
home  in  which  upon  the  ground  floor  lay  helpless 
a  poor  invalid — a  member  of  Cumberland  Street 
Church.  I  called  to  see  her  one  morning  and  told 
her  how  the  revival  work  appeared  to  be  hindered 
by  the  powers  of  darkness.  Said  she :  "  I  spent  all 
last  night  in  prayer  to  God  for  a  blessing  upon  the 
church.  Our  God  has  heard  my  prayer.  Many 
souls  will  be  saved  before  the  meeting  comes  to  an 
end."  That  night  God  led  the  way,  and  before  the 
close  of  the  revival  one  hundred  and  eighteen  souls 
were  born  of  the  Spirit  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

The  Christian  Church  declining?  We  know  noth- 
ing about  it.  The  one  thing  we  do  know  is  that 
Methodism  is  marching  on.  If  any  are  tired  of  the 
campaign,  let  them  break  ranks  and  go  back — but  we 
go  on. 

Heaven  is  our  camping-ground,  and  we  never  in- 
tend to  stack  arms  until  we  have  finished  the  fight 
and  left  the  world  to  be  forever  at  home  with  Jesus 
in  that  land  where  the  weary  are  at  rest. 


II. 

BUSINESS  INTERESTS,  AS  AFFECTED  BY 
METHODISM. 

BY    COL.    JOHN    P.    BRANCH. 

The  advancement  of  the  business  interests  of  a 
country  is  the  duty  of  every  citizen.  It  begins  at 
home :  "  He  that  provideth  not  for  his  own  house- 
hold hath  denied  the  faith,  and  is  worse  than  an 
infidel."  But  the  same  Word  tells  us  that  we  are  not 
to  look  upon  our  own  things  only  but  also  on  the 
things  of  others.  "  None  of  us  liveth  to  himself." 
Every  man's  interests  are  wrapped  up  with  others. 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 

It  is  essential  that  you  and  yours  be  fed,  and 
clothed  and  housed;  it  is  also  essential  that  your 
neighbor  be  thus  blessed.  In  a  business  sense,  as  well 
as  in  a  religious  sense,  every  one  is  his  "  brother's 
keeper,"  and  this  relation  is  reciprocal.  Nothing 
conies  to  a  good  man  but  what  is  in  a  sense  common 
to  his  fellow-man.  Business  interests  then  are  the 
arrangements,  modes  and  opportunities  by  which 
what  is  the  good  of  one  may  become  the  good  of  all. 
Have  you  wealth?  It  becomes  dross  and  "  filthy 
lucre  "  if  hoarded  in  a  miserly  way.  If  lavished  only 
on  self,  it  enures  to  pride  and  vanity,  and  is  no  better 

[189] 


190  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

than  the  miser's.  When  shared  with  others  wisely 
it  will  serve  the  purpose  for  which  God  gave  it. 

If  God's  word  teaches  anything,  it  teaches  that 
every  human  being  is  a  steward  entrusted  with  one 
or  more  talents — responsible  to  the  Giver  of  them 
for  their  use  and  improvement.  No  one  can  hide 
his  one  talent  in  the  earth,  or  squander  his  five 
foolishly,  or  use  them  without  regard  to  the  interests 
of  the  owner  without  condemnation. 

The  man  who  uses  his  means,  be  they  little  or 
much,  "  to  make  two  blades  of  grass  grow  where  only 
one  grew  before,"  to  equip  and  send  off  ships  to 
carry  the  fruits  of  husbandry  and  toil;  to  make  the 
waterfall  grind  the  grain;  to  build  the  iron  railway 
to  bring  distant  people  together  and  help  to  unify  the 
race — the  man  who  does  these  things  in  the  spirit  of 
righteousness  and  the  fear  of  God,  is  in  his  sphere 
"  a  doer  of  the  word,"  and  an  heir  of  faithful  Abra- 
ham, who  is  not  on  record  as  a  preacher,  but  who 
nevertheless  so  impressed  himself  upon  the  world  as 
to  be  revered  in  pagan  as  well  as  Christian  lands. 

"  Christianity  in  earnest "  elevates  men  in  business 
life.  It  forbids  all  that  wrongs  our  neighbor;  it  is 
good  will  in  active  exercise.  Like  its  founder,  it 
seeks  to  do  good  to  all,  and  at  all  times.  It  makes 
a  man  rescue  his  fellow  who  has  fallen  among 
thieves — whether  he  has  been  robbed  of  his  money 
or  his  character — and  put  him  on  his  feet  again,  and 
rejoice  in  seeing  him  walk  in  the  strength  of  man- 
hood. 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  191 

In  the  days  of  the  Wesleys  it  went  into  the  purlieus 
of  London  and  other  cities,  and  transformed  the 
wicked  and  abandoned  into  useful  men.  It  went  to 
Cornwall  and  after  great  conflicts  with  almost  heathen 
miners  it  left  them  peaceable  and  orderly,  and  so  effec- 
tually reformed  the  community  that  its  mark  remains 
upon  it  to  this  day.  Less  than  a  hundred  years  have 
passed  since  Wesleyan  Methodism  went  to  Australia 
and  New  Zealand,  when  those  countries  were  inhab- 
ited by  cannibals:  now  they  are  large  producers  of 
wool,  provisions  and  other  necessaries  of  life  and  in- 
dustry, and  the  Methodists  there  are  raising  money 
by  the  hundred  thousand  for  the  twentieth  century 
movement. 

The  great  truth  annunciated  by  the  inspired 
writer — "  Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation,  but  sin 
is  a  reproach  to  any  people  " — has  a  thousand  proofs 
in  both  sacred  and  profane  history. 

The  most  methodical  and  industrious  man  of  the 
eighteenth  century  was  John  Wesley.  His  people 
imitated  him,  and  with  their  thrift  and  economy  en- 
riched their  country. 


III. 

THE  CONNECTIONAL  IDEA  AND  THE 
LOCAL  CHURCH. 

BY    WILLIAM    V.    TUDOR,   D.    D. 

It  is  a  story  of  one  of  the  early  Methodist  preachers, 
that  driving  up  with  his  family  to  a  house  in  a  region 
of  country  which  he  had  found  to  be  rudely  inhos- 
pitable, and  hailing,  "  House !  house !  "  the  question 
came  from  the  opened  door,  "  Where  are  you  from?  " 
to  which  the  itinerant  hallooed  back,  "  We  are  from 
everywhere  but  here,  and  we  want  to  be  from  here 
as  soon  as  possible."  In  this  witty  answer  we  may 
recognize  one  form  of  putting  in  speech  the  idea  of 
the  Methodist  itinerancy.  Every  idea  distinctive  of 
the  economical  system  or  management  of  Methodism 
has  grown  out  of  the  itinerancy,  which  has  itself 
grown  out  of  the  one  grand,  original,  inspiring  idea; 
viz.,  "  Preach  the  word."  Wesley  wrote  to  one  of  his 
preachers,  "  If  you  desire  to  promote  the  work  of 
God  you  should  preach  abroad  " — he  meant  field 
preaching — "  as  often  as  possible;  "  and  adds,  "  Noth- 
ing destroys  the  devil's  work  like  this."  "  For  this 
purpose  the  Son  of  God  was  manifested,  that  he 
might  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,"  we  read.  The 

[192] 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  19S 

commission  of  the  Government  a  year  ago  to  Dewey 
and  Sampson-  and  Schley  was  not  to  engage  the 
enemy,  not  to  encounter  or  fight,  but,  in  express 
terms,  to  destroy  the  Spanish  fleet  at  Manilla;  to 
destroy  Cervera's  fleet.  The  evolutions  were  for 
that.  Field-preaching  was  one  of  Wesley's  evolutions 
"  to  destroy  the  devil's  works,"  as  we  have  quoted 
him.  Not  field-preaching,  but  preaching  was  the 
conscious  commission  of  Methodism  to  destroy  the 
works  of  the  devil,  to  preach  the  work  of  Christ. 
By  means  of  preaching  the  work  of  Christ  is  pub- 
lished and  promoted. 

The  first  and  main  business  is  to  herald  the  gospel 
of  the  grace  of  God  to  sinners;  to  testify  the  meaning 
of  salvation,  both  as  to  its  final  cause,  and  its  im- 
mediate or  progressive  approaches  to  the  end.  The 
business  is  with  the  individual  soul,  or,  with  the 
universal  human  soul — the  soul,  which  in  each  and  all 
of  mankind  is  so  much  the  same  in  essence,  capacity 
and  condition,  as  to  be  practically  one.  To  save  that 
soul,  in  the  gospel  sense,  is  not  a  question  principally 
of  organization  or  system  or  connection,  but  is  a 
matter  of  effort  as  prescribed  by  the  great  Saviour, 
"  Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."  For  the 
purpose  of  this  effort  the  soul  is  one — the  closest 
unity  man  can  have  with  his  fellow-man;  not  a  tie, 
but  an  identity,  as  in  an  accepted  sense  we  use  the 
term  identification — identified  in  interests  and  fate; 
everywhere  needing  to  repent  for  sin  and  to  be  saved 
for  the  hope  of  everlasting  life.  The  universal  soul 
13 


194  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

is  the  world  that  God  loved,  and  gave  himself  to  its 
salvation.  We  want  to  preach  to  that  soul,  to  en- 
lighten it,  if  possible,  to  inform,  to  expound  the  truth 
of  destiny,  to  tell  the  soul  certain  things  that  concern 
the  human  being,  if  he  values  life  and  well-being. 
The  soul  is  in  darkness,  and  light  alone  is  congenial 
to  life;  the  soul  is  a  lost  sheep,  and  the  fold  alone  is 
safe.  We  have  to  tell  the  soul  glad  tidings  of  great 
joy,  joy  so  great  and  tidings  so  good  because  con- 
demnation and  death  were  foredoomed  if  there  were 
no  salvation.  But  Oh,  joy!  a  Saviour  has  come  into 
the  world.  Preach;  proclaim  God,  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  the  creator  and  preserver  of  all 
mankind.  Preach;  proclaim  the  kingdom  of  God  at 
hand  to  man,  with  the  hope  of  eternal  life,  or  im- 
mortality. Preach,  the  soul  a  dying  sinner,  redeemed 
through  great  love;  the  salvation  to  be  accepted  or 
else  neglected;  reformation  by  regeneration.  Preach; 
awake  the  sleeping  soul,  convict  of  sin,  exhort  to 
repentance,  invite  to  Christ,  witness  to  the  strange 
warmth  of  peace  and  joy  in  justification  through  be- 
lieving in  Jesus.  Preach  faith,  deal  with  the  soul 
sunk  and  dead  in  sin;  the  sinner  has  no  conscience  left 
apparently;  he  has  no  moral  sense,  but  only  carnal 
sense;  he  is  immoral  and  does  not  care;  he  is  bound 
for  eternal  torment;  he  is  hard  and  contemptuous 
and  unbelieving,  the  enemy  of  God;  but  Divine  love 
hovers  over  him;  for  him  a  Saviour  was  born  and 
crucified;  infinite  pity  yearns  toward  him,  grace  to 
him  abounds,  the  spirit-world  cares  for  him,  all  kind- 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  195 

ness  and  tenderness  and  mercy  encourage  his  re- 
pentance, heaven  wants  him  and  will  have  him  for  a 
word  of  consent — it  is  just  such  a  soul  may  know  the 
raptures  of  pure,  everlasting  life;  the  influences  and 
forces  of  love  surround  and  press  upon  him.  Preach; 
press  the  gospel  on  him,  on  the  soul,  the  world-soul, 
all  the  world — the  world  is  small  to  the  forces  that 
with  ever  accelerated  movement  are  traversing  and 
engirding  the  globe — to  every  creature;  it  was  Jesus' 
first  and  great  concern;  to  make  all  men  know  the 
riches  of  the  glory  of  the  mystery,  Christ  the  Saviour 
among  us,  a  glorious  hope.  Preach  to  the  soul 
buried  in  sorrow  and  in  sin,  lying  at  hell's  dark  door, 
plunged  in  a  gulf  of  dark  despair,  a  trembling  sinner. 
Preach. 

It  was  from  the  preaching  of  Wesley  that  Metho- 
dism arose.  It  was  the  preaching  and  experience  of 
conversion  or  the  new  birth  that  inspired  and  led  to 
management  or  system,  such  as  all  endeavors  and 
enterprises  of  men  associated  by  a  common  faith 
or  idea  or  purpose  inevitably  assume,  or  wisely  ordain 
for  achievement  and  success.  The  founder  of  Metho- 
dism, the  author  of  the  economical  or  governmental 
system,  was  not  Wesley  the  churchman,  not  Wesley 
the  priest,  nor  the  administrator  of  ordinances  or 
sacraments,  but  Wesley  the  evangelist,  the  preacher. 
The  class-meeting,  Wesley's  earliest  institution,  was 
a  means  of  preaching:  the  lay  preacher,  the  Metho- 
dist preacher  arose  out  of  it.  Preaching  was  the 
thing,  as  we  say  colloquially;  it  was  the  first  and 


196  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

great  commandment.  The  soul  was  the  unit,  the  tie, 
the  necessary,  inevitable  connection  of  man  with  man, 
social  necessarily  because  identical,  society  inevitably 
existing  through  the  universal  soul,  one  and  insepa- 
rable. Preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  God 
will  also  take  care  of  the  connectional  idea.  He 
names  his  incorporation  of  it  "  kingdom  " — the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  or,  of  God.  It  was  the  Saviour's  only 
term  for  the  association  of  men  with  men  in  God,  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  In  the  two  places  only  in  his 
reported  words  in  which  he  says  "  church,"  the  term 
means  synonymously  the  congregation  of  the  faith- 
ful. One  hundred  and  twelve  times  he  uses  the  word 
"  kingdom  "  to  denote  his  "  society,"  God  restoring 
and  reorganizing  his  kingdom  of  souls,  saved  unto 
eternal  life.  It  is  in  this  higher,  divine,  and  necessary 
connection  of  the  kingdom  that  the  fundamental  idea 
of  the  Protestant  era — the  advanced  Christian  era 
of  the  world's  reformation — has  been  saved;  the 
principle  that  there  cannot  be  a  more  dangerous 
nor  a  more  odious  encroachment  on  the  rights  of  the 
individual  soul  than  when  one  officiously  and  un- 
solicited interferes  with  the  sacred  intercourse  that 
subsists  between  him  and  his  God;  a  principle  which 
asserted  itself  and  triumphed  even  over  Luther,  its 
doughty  and  irrepressible  champion,  when  in  the 
strength  of  his  opinions  he  sought  rigorously  and 
severely  to  enforce  them  on  his  followers,  who  yet 
in  great  numbers  saved  the  Reformation  by  refusing, 
having  thrown  off  the  authority  of  the  Romish  See, 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  m 

to  submit  their  consciences  to  the  control  of  a  monk. 
John  Wesley  was  wiser.  His  original  and  expedient 
connection  of  members  and  preachers  was  with  him- 
self. That  was  the  Wesleyan  Methodist  Connection 
at  the  earliest,  and  so  named  expressly;  yet  Wesley 
said,  "  Every  preacher  and  every  member  may  leave 
me  when  he  pleases;  but  while  he  chooses  to  stay, 
it  is  on  the  same  terms  that  he  joined  me  at  first." 

At  this  point  the  idea  of  our  connectional  system 
begins  to  develop.  Connection,  you  cannot  escape 
it.  All  Christians,  of  many  and  familiar  denomina- 
tions, are  connected,  are  bound  together.  The  soul 
is  the  unit,  the  spiritual  kingdom  is  the  ideal,  the 
eternal,  heavenly  kingdom  is  perfection.  There  is 
necessary  and  subordinate  connection,  as  the  differ- 
ent denominations  have  elected  symbolical  terms, 
convention,  council,  presbytery,  assembly,  associa- 
tion. In  the  strictest  congregational  church  there  is 
connection  of  local  government,  binding  on  pastor 
and  people.  As  by  a  very  eternal  law  of  being,  or 
through  the  universal  soul,  connection  in  church  has 
ever  become  more  and  more  intimate,  and  consoli- 
dated, binding  ministers  and  laymen  together  in 
compact,  administrative,  and  executive  body.  As  by 
force  of  a  law  of  souls,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon 
undertook  a  connection  of  the  followers  of  White- 
field,  which  later  lapsed  into  the  congregational 
polity.  By  various  informing  principles,  or  by  provi- 
dential hints,  or  by  historical  facts  the  connectional 
ties  of  different  denominations  have  been  organized 


198  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

and  named.  Our  Methodist  church,  or  society,  or 
Conference  (the  symbolical  term  peculiar  to  us),  is 
connection  with  one  man,  John  Wesley.  Do  not  be 
startled,  as  though  a  man  were  the  head  of  the 
church,  or  as  though  we  were  resigning  the  claim  to 
be  of  the  church  of  Christ.  We  might  indeed  partly 
elucidate  our  proposition  and  leave  it  established  in 
a  general  way  by  quoting,  as  applicable  to  Wesley, 
(and  which  history  and  modern  Methodism  would 
not  deny),  the  word  we  read  in  Scripture  concerning 
Abel,  the  son  of  Adam :  "  He,  being  dead,  yet 
speaketh."  No  man's  voice  of  teaching  has  more 
rung  through  now  nearly  two  centuries  than  that  of 
Wesley.  But  our  particular  thesis  is  susceptible  of 
yet  wider  demonstration  or  argument  of  support. 

We  understand  that  the  Word  of  God  very  much 
leaves  the  church  free  to  frame  its  ecclesiastical  con- 
stitution, to  form  government,  to  order  its  obser- 
vances of  worship,  out  of  its  own  self-organizing  life. 
One  life,  of  one  man,  Christ  Jesus,  by  infinite  pre- 
eminence, dominates  and  is  reproduced  in  the  uni- 
versal church  of  true  believers.  An  author  has  noted 
that  the  word  "  church  "  occurs  in  the  Acts  and  the 
epistles,  including  the  apocalypse,  one  hundred  and 
twelve  times — exactly  the  same  number  of  times  as 
"kingdom"  in  the  gospels;  while  "kingdom"  ap- 
pears in  only  twenty-nine  cases;  the  Apostles  thereby 
conveniently  expressing  and  easily  emphasizing  by 
the  Spirit  the  institution  of  the  kingdom,  the  church. 
With  Paul,  and  in  his  writings,  and  by  the  same  Holy 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  199 

Spirit,  the  personal  Christ,  or  his  life,  was  apparently 
an  advanced  idea  of  the  kingdom.  He  was  not  so 
much  for  baptizing  into  the  church.  With  him 
Christ  was  everything.  He  said  of  himself  that  he 
had  been  crucified  with  Christ,  and  that  he  lived  in 
him,  and  that  to  be  a  subject  of  the  kingdom  was  to 
be  in  Christ;  so  pervading  and  all-containing  and 
sufficient  was  the  great,  saving  Christ.  It  looks  as 
though,  surveying  the  churches,  partial  and  segre- 
gated, one  of  Paul,  another  of  Apollos,  and  another 
of  Cephas,  the  Apostle  had  the  idea  of  Principal 
Fairbairn — or  did  not  Fairbairn  rather  get  it  from 
Paul? — that  the  drift  of  the  Church  of  believers 
toward  the  ideal  unity  would  be,  as  Principal  Fair- 
bairn expresses  it,  and  so  he  characterizes  the  earnest 
religious  life  of  our  time,  by  "  the  return  to  Christ." 
This  to  show  the  place  and  power  of  a  person,  the 
great  first  person  of  our  faith  and  following.  If 
admonition  were  needed,  and  possibly  it  may  be, 
to  universal  Methodism  to-day,  admonition  for  any 
lack  of  efficiency  and  evangelistic  power,  it  could 
not  be  couched  in  brief  phrase  more  fittingly  and 
significantly  than  in  the  words,  "  Return  to  Wesley." 
Wesley  said  to  the  assembled  Conference,  and  it  was 
not  denied,  "  I  am,  under  God,  a  centre  of  union  to 
all  our  travelling,  as  well  as  local  preachers."  In 
anticipation  of  his  death,  and  for  the  perpetuation  of 
Methodism,  Wesley  vested  all  his  own  power  in  a 
hundred  members  of  the  ministry.  So  apostolic  is 
his  figure  as  that  it  is  no  unwarranted  hyperbole  to 


SOO  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

say  that  with  us  now-a-days  it  takes  a  whole  General 
Conference,  Bishops  and  members,  to  incarnate  one 
Wesley.  As  Wesley  fixed  the  appointments  of  his 
preachers  by  very  episcopal  authority,  or  at  his  sole 
judgment,  so  now  the  General  Conference  nominates 
for  the  pulpits  through  the  superintendents,  or 
Bishops,  whom  it  elects  and  sets  apart  for  the  service. 
Nomination  to  the  pulpits;  preaching  unto  soul-sav- 
ing is  the  thing,  the  grand,  unifying,  connecting  idea. 
This  made  it  necessary  that. the  pulpits  should  be- 
come inalienable  property,  as  was  done  by  trustee- 
ship for  the  Connection.  It  made  necessary  also  that 
the  doctrines,  spiritual  laws,  and  the  itinerancy  should 
be  defended  in  a  species  of  unalterable  constitution, 
so  as  to  identify  the  church  to  which  the  members 
and  property  belonged,  as  is  done  in  brief  form  in 
the  items  of  our  commonly-called  Restrictive  Rules, 
only  six  in  number.  Restriction  was  necessary  in 
order  that,  as  Dr.  Tigert  well  says,  in  his  "  Constitu- 
tional History  of  American  Episcopal  Methodism," 
"  the  church  itself  may  be  protected  from  that  most 
dangerous  of  all  tyrannies,  the  tyranny  of  an  oli- 
garchy." 

The  value  of  such  connection,  particularly  so  large 
and  extensive  as  that  of  Methodism  has  become, 
must  be  manifest,  for  manifold  purposes  for  which 
the  church  of  Christ  exists  on  earth;  purposes  and 
results  illustrated  in  all  the  great  denominations  or 
sects  besides  ourselves,  although  they  may  be  called 
distinctively  congregational,  as  distinguished  from 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  801 

connectional,  in  the  peculiar  sense  applied  to  Metho- 
dism— the  property  of  Methodism,  or  as  Dr.  Tigert 
puts  it,  "  The  term  is  technical  and  characteristic  of 
the  denomination."  The  connection  is  realized  in 
the  several  denominations  by  official  boards,  for  ex- 
ample, for  the  maintenance  of  the  ministry,  for  church 
extension,  for  the  work  of  foreign  and  domestic  mis- 
sions, for  education,  and  for  the  exertion  of  Christian 
influence  upon  the  public,  upon  the  nation,  and  upon 
the  world. 

For  our  particular  connectional  idea,  and  to  ap- 
preciate it,  we  revert  to  the  original  and  fundamental 
proposition  of  this  paper,  viz.,  "  Preach  the  Word." 
Some  years  ago  on  entering  a  family  of  Methodists 
I  found  them  puzzling  over  the  signature  to  a  certi- 
ficate of  membership  one  of  them  had  received — the 
name  signed,  and  the  letters  or  abbreviations  follow- 
ing, "P.  C."  What  did  "P.  C."  mean?  "Pastor" 
would  have  been  all  right  and  familiar.  Through  some 
neglect  of  their  education  they  had  not  learned  that 
the  true  style  in  Methodism  is  "  P.  C.,"  preacher  in 
charge.  The  original  Methodist  preacher  was  little 
of  the  pastor,  as  the  term  in  this  day  has  come  to 
mean  an  endeared  and  intimate  relation  to  the 
families  of  the  flock.  He  was  more  a  flame  of  fire 
catching  from  place  to  place,  a  torch  in  hand  applied 
from  spot  to  spot.  In  the  minutes  of  the  first  Con- 
ference of  America  Methodism,  held  in  1773,  the 
appointments  of  the  preachers  read,  "  New  York, 
Thomas  Rankin;  Philadelphia,  George  Shadford; 


202  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

to  exchange  in  four  months,"  four  months  rather 
than  four  years,  the  limit  of  service  in  one  place. 
Again  the  term  was  six  months,  then  a  year,  then 
two  years,  the  extreme  down  to  a  time  easily  within 
the  memory  of  people  still  living;  the  four  years 
possibility  and  limit  being  allowed  by  enactment  only 
since  the  eventful  period  of  the  war  of  the  States. 
The  preacher,  the  herald,  the  torch,  the  flame  of  fire, 
the  minister,'  the  servant,  the  itinerant  was  to  go 
everywhere,  preaching  the  word.  That  was  the 
genius  of  Methodism.  There  is  no  reason  to-day, 
inherent  in  the  nature  of  things,  why  the  term  should 
be  four  years  rather  than  six  months;  or  four  years, 
and  not  five,  or  eight.  None  whatever.  Large  cities, 
small  towns,  rural  districts  afford  at  last  no  varying 
conditions  essentially  to  vary  the  one  commission, 
Preach  the  word.  Culture,  refinement,  society  af- 
ford no  varying  conditions.  Education  in  the 
ministry  should  be  the  requirement  as  well  for  the 
mountains  as  for  the  plains,  for  the  circuits  as  the 
stations.  It  was  in  the  age  of  Washington,  and 
Jefferson  and  Franklin  and  Patrick  Henry  that  the 
early  six-months'  Methodist  preachers  in  this  country 
flourished.  Again,  the  indefinite  term,  by  appoint- 
ment annually,  would  not  be  inharmonious  with 
Methodism,  and  the  itinerancy  would  not  be  neces- 
sarily impaired,  provided  the  testimony  of  the  preach- 
ing should  be  efficiently  declared.  Preach  to  the 
universal  soul,  wherever  found.  The  highlands 
rather  than  the  lowlands  may  be  preferable,  essen- 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  SOS 

tial  for  the  health  of  the  itinerant  or  his  family. 
Let  him  so  represent,  as  bearing  upon  his  appoint- 
ment. His  right  to  do  so,  and  to  be  accommodated, 
if  possible,  has  never  been  denied,  has  been  freely 
and  inherently  accorded.  To  demand  that  one 
should  be  sent  them  to  preach  the  word,  if  a  people 
have  not  had  it  faithfully  declared;  to  represent  their 
ability  to  take  care  of  a  single  man  only,  or  a  small 
family,  and  not  a  large;  even  to  suggest  the  names 
of  men  of  whom  they  know  as  mighty  in  word  and 
doctrine,  and  as  likely  to  be  useful  among  them, 
preaching  the  word;  such  privileges  and  applications 
may  not  in  reason  be  denied  a  congregation,  circuit, 
or  station.  But  it  was  early  laid  down  as  fundamental 
in  Methodism,  "  We  deny  not  the  right  of  any  people 
to  choose  their  own  pastors;  but  should  our  societies 
deem  it  expedient  so  to  do,  they  would  take  on  them- 
selves a  high  responsibility,  for  they  would  destroy 
the  itinerant  system."  Destroy  the  itinerancy;  and 
what  is  the  itinerancy?  The  journeying  system;  and 
how  far  can  men  journey?  From  circuit  to  circuit, 
from  sea-shore  to  mountain,  from  city  to  city,  from 
State  to  State,  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific, 
and  back  again,  from  Maine  to  Georgia.  And  who 
journeys  like  the  "  transfer  "? — a  term  originally  ap- 
propriated for  a  soldier  transferred  from  one  com- 
pany or  troop,  and  placed  in  another,  and  later  ap- 
plied to  an  itinerant  preacher  transferred  from  one 
Conference  to  another.  Who  is  so  typically  an  itin- 
erant as  he,  the  transfer?  Transferred  from  Con- 


S04  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

ference  to  Conference,  not  ever,  in  comity,  courtesy 
and  right,  without  his  consent — consent  often  soli- 
cited and  urged  by  the  appointing  power,  or  himself 
seeking  transfer  through  force  of  providential  cir- 
cumstances that  conspire  and  direct  him  to  seek  a 
change  of  general  location,  from  West  to  East  per- 
haps, by  the  distance  of  half  a  continent,  yet  the 
preacher  having  no  more  right  to  name  his  charge, 
city,  station,  or  circuit,  than  the  young  man  who, 
having  answered  satisfactorily  the  question,  "  Will 
he  do  that  part  of  the  work  advised,  at  the  time  and 
place  judged  most  for  the  glory  of  God?  "  is  on  the 
spot  admitted  into  full  connection. 

At  this  point  the  local  church  must  be  found  loyal 
as  well  as  the  itinerant  man,  and  nothing  in  Metho- 
dism has  been  more  exemplary  and  phenomenal  than 
the  submission  and  fidelity  of  the  churches  to  their 
appointments.  One  of  my  earliest  recollections, 
when  I  was  a  Sunday  School  small  boy,  is  of  hearing 
the  new  appointee  of  the  Baltimore  Conference  to 
Fayette  Street  Church,  Baltimore,  say  from  the 
pulpit,  at  his  first  sermon,  in  an  independent  way, 
"  I  understand  you  all  did  not  want  me,  and  neither 
did  I  want  to  come;  but  here  I  am  and  mean  to 
stay,  and  you  will  have  to  make  the  best  of  it."  The 
union  of  preacher  and  people  was  cemented  by  the 
word,  and  they  had  a  grand  year  together.  Nor  does 
the  general  loyalty  of  the  people  exceed  the  hospi- 
tality and  affection  with  which  the  preachers  are 
regarded  and  entertained.  Moreover,  the  local 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  £06 

preacher,  as  well  as  the  itinerant,  belongs  to  the 
cpnnectional  system,  the  preacher  a  permanent  resi- 
dent, a  merchant,  a  mechanic,  a  lawyer,  a  physician, 
laboring  gratuitously,  a  valuable  assistant,  an  ele- 
ment of  power.  The  providential  force  of  the  con- 
nectional  idea,  as  we  have  viewed  it  in  this  paper, 
appears  in  this,  that  while  there  are  changes  and  long, 
rapid  moves  of  the  itinerant  ministry,  yet  also,  by  the 
care  and  labors  and  administration  of  these  very 
itinerants  there  is  localization,  centralization,  organi- 
zation, permanent  holding  of  territory,  building  up 
of  churches;  the  Annual  Conference  being  the  firm- 
ament in  which  the  preachers  are  held  to  their  syste- 
matic revolutions.  There  have  been  wandering  stars 
and  comets  from  the  first,  but  also  from  the  first  the 
local  church  has  been  established  and  settled  by  the 
connectional  ministry  as  though  it  had  itself  been 
settled.  I  leave  you  to  judge  of  the  comprehensive- 
ness and  completeness  of  the  connectional  idea,  all 
under  God. 

But  now  again,  and  finally,  we  revert  to  our  pro- 
position of  the  return  to  Wesley.  He,  at  the  start, 
had  no  notion  of  organizing  a  church  pro  forma,  or 
for  form's  sake.  To  save  the  universal  soul  was  his 
high  conception.  Individually  saved  souls  should  be 
witnesses  for  Jesus,  "  to  tell  to  sinners  round  what 
a  dear  Saviour  they  had  found,"  and  by  speaking 
often  one  to  another  to  use  a  means  for  the  conser- 
vation of  their  own  spiritual  life.  One  of  their 
number,  having  gifts,  grace,  and  the  promise  of  use- 


206  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

fulness,  should  be  a  preacher,  to  speak  to  souls  saved 
and  unsaved.  The  Methodist  Church  is  a  society  of 
societies,  a  unit  of  units.  The  itinerant  may  fit- 
tingly represent  the  angel  of  the  Apocalypse,  having 
the  everlasting  gospel  to  preach,  and  flying.  If  it 
be  a  question  of  adaptation,  of  varied  culture  for 
varied  classes  of  society,  he  flies — does  not  stay  long 
at  one  place.  He  flies  and  another  succeeds  him. 
The  situation  is  suited;  he  flies.  Meanwhile  he  is 
preaching  the  word,  doing  the  work  of  an  evangelist. 
Return  to  Wesley;  let  all  the  preachers  be  evangelists, 
all  the  societies  class-meetings,  advising  among  them- 
selves how  to  flee  the  wrath  to  come,  how  to  save 
themselves  and  the  souls  of  others;  the  annual  ap- 
pointment being  a  flying  messenger;  the  one  object 
being  not  to  build  up  and  caress  and  foster  in  pride 
of  strength  a  local  congregation,  but  to  build  up  and 
swell  the  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first- 
born, which  are  written  in  heaven. 

The  tendency  in  cities  with  each  church  or  charge 
is  to  be  wholly  occupied  with  its  own  interests  and 
increase.  One  of  the  leading  ideas  of  this  centennial 
occasion  is  to  promote  a  closer  union  and  coopera- 
tion. The  motives  and  arguments  for  such  associa- 
tion are  so  abundant  and  familiar  as  to  make  their 
presentation  trite  and  commonplace.  Moreover,  all 
the  denominations  use  such  united  effort.  The  aim 
of  this  paper  has  been,  by  a  survey  of  the  origin,  his- 
tory and  peculiarities  of  our  system — a  field  with 
which  our  younger  people  are  little  acquainted — to 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  zw 

show  what  is  the  true  connectional  spirit  of  Metho- 
dism, and  to  foster  it.  The  purpose  of  the  argument 
will  be  served  if  the  permanent  organization  shall  be 
effected  which  has  already  been  contemplated  in  this 
centennial  movement.  So  also  a  new  era  of  expan- 
sion and  prosperity  for  Methodism  in  our  city  will 
begin  with  the  dawn  of  the  twentieth  century. 


IV. 
METHODISM  AND  CITY  EVANGELIZATION. 

BY   W.    J.    YOUNG,    D.    D. 

Shelley  is  quoted  as  having  said,  "  Hell  is  a  city 
much  like  London."  Most  of  us  have  used  the  well- 
worn  saying,  "  God  made  the  country;  man  made 
the  town."  These  sayings  are  of  interest  as  indicating 
the  prevalent  notion  that  the  moral  and  religious 
conditions  of  municipal  life  are  hopeless;  that  we 
must  put  up  with  them,  saving  only  the  few  from  the 
general  ruin. 

This  pessimistic  conception  must  give  way  before 
the  confidence  of  the  gospel  that  every  man  may  be 
saved,  and  every  society  or  community  of  men  be  re- 
deemed. Surely  no  one  who  has  felt  the  power  of  the 
Cross  in  his  own  heart  will  deny  that  this  Cross  is  able 
to  save  unto  the  uttermost  all  men.  It  has  not  been 
long  since  I  heard  a  man,  but  recently  reclaimed 
from  vicious  habits,  pleading,  in  a  mission  located 
in  the  slums  of  a  city,  with  his  old  companions  of 
both  sexes  to  accept  his  Lord,  offering  as  his  chief 
argument,  "  If  He  can  save  a  wretch  like  me,  He 
can  save  you  also." 

[208] 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  209 

The  second  of  the  sayings  just  quoted,  like  most 
current  proverbs,  has  an  element  of  falsehood  in  it. 
It  is  not  true  that  the  town  is  altogether  a  human 
product.  The  social  nature  of  man,  the  use  of 
nature's  forces  in  the  industrial  and  material  progress 
of  the  world,  these  surely  have  their  origin  in  God, 
and  they  have  had  most  to  do  with  the  building  of 
cities.  We  may  say  then  that  the  city  is  a  divine 
institution,  and,  as  such  may  be  brought,  in  every 
way,  into  harmony  with  the  moral  law  of  God.  Let 
us  not  forget  that  the  heaven  of  the  glorified  is  spoken 
of  as  a  city,  the  New  Jerusalem.  Let  us  not  forget 
that  our  Master  made  the  cities  the  centers  of  his  own 
work,  that  he  wept  over  the  great  city  of  Jerusalem, 
that  it  was  almost  within  the  precincts  of  the  same 
city  that  he  died  on  the  cross  and  created  our  redemp- 
tion. Let  us  not  forget  that  the  apostle  to  the  gen- 
tiles did  most  of  his  preaching  in  the  cities  along  his 
missionary  routes,  established  in  them  the  first  Chris- 
tian churches,  and  to  them,  for  the  most  part,  ad- 
dressed his  famous  epistles. 

The  rapid  growth  of  cities  in  modern  times  presents 
the  chief  problem  for  the  Church  of  Christ.  From 
1880  to  1890,  we  are  told,  the  city  population  of  the 
United  States  increased  sixty-one  per  cent.,  while  the 
rural  population  increased  only  fourteen  per  cent. 
From  the  same  sources  we  learn  that,  with  the  same 
percentage  of  increase,  the  year  1920  would  witness 
a  city  population  ten  millions  in  excess  of  the  country 
population.  This  would  mean  the  control  of  the 
14 


210  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

nation  by  the  cities.  The  nation  cannot  be  re- 
deemed, unless  the  cities  be  first  redeemed.  Besides, 
this  more  rapid  growth  of  our  American  cities  in 
recent  years  is  no  mere  accident.  It  would  be  easy  to 
give  reasons  why  it  is  so.  The  cities  of  Europe  have 
had  the  same  marvelous  development.  This  tendency 
is,  therefore,  probably  permanent,  and  the  obligation 
is  a  pressing  one  that  we  save  the  cities  of  our 
nation — that  we  save  this  city. 

The  city  is  the  center  of  influence,  not  only  socially 
and  industrially,  but  religiously  as  well.  The  city 
church  is  fast  setting  the  fashion  in  matters  eccle- 
siastical. The  contact  of  the  city  and  the  country  is 
so  close  now  that  even  the  tone  of  piety  in  the 
country  church  is  thereby  affected.  The  work  in  the 
foreign  field  leans  in  no  small  measure  on  our  city 
churches  and  our  city  life.  The  mission  boards  de- 
pend on  the  liberality  of  our  city  churches.  But  still 
more :  The  world  is  getting  very  small  in  these  latter 
days,  and  heathen  eyes  are  observing  the  examples 
of  so-called  Christian  civilization  exhibited  by  our 
great  cities.  Alas!  what  do  they  see?  We  are  told 
that  some  of  the  representatives  of  heathen  religions 
at  the  World's  Parliament  of  Religions  made  com- 
parisons by  no  means  flattering  to  our  American 
vanity,  between  the  moral  status  of  Chicago  and  that 
of  the  great  cities  of  the  East.  If  we  would  save 
heathendom,  we  must  save  the  cities  of  America. 

Here,  too,  in  our  cities  crime  has  its  headquarters. 
If  the  citizen  from  the  country  desires  to  give  loose 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  211 

rein  to  his  appetite  he  finds  his  opportunity  not  at 
home,  but  during  the  visit  to  the  city.  It  is  the  city 
that  has  its  slums,  its  gambling-houses,  its  brothel. 
It  is  the  city  that  has  developed  and  encouraged  the 
desecration  of  the  Sabbath.  Within  a  few  minutes' 
walk  of  the  sacred  desk,  where  I  now  stand,  there  is 
evil  enough  to  damn  a  hundred  cities  like  Richmond. 

Whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  liquor  problem 
as  a  whole,  all  reformers,  of  the  better  type,  are  agreed 
that  the  saloon  is  an  evil  and  must  go.  Now  it  is  in 
the  city  the  saloon  has  most  power.  Here  it  draws 
down  its  rapacious  maw  the  youth  of  our  country. 
Here  it  so  largely  dictates  who  shall  fill  our  public 
offices,  and  how  our  affairs  shall  be  conducted.  Here 
it  makes  cowards  of  our  public  leaders,  even  those 
who  belong  to  our  churches.  Here  it  fills  the  jails 
and  sends  to  the  many  dens  of  infamy  its  miserable 
wreckage. 

The  city  is  the  home  of  poverty.  What  throngs, 
with  hardly  enough  to  eat,  crowded  into  their  narrow 
homes,  surrounded  by  filth  and  squalor !  Multitudes 
reduced  to  penury  through  drink,  through  improvi- 
dence, or  through  that  competition  which  leads  most 
of  us  to  buy  our  goods  in  the  cheapest  market  and  to 
sell  in  the  dearest,  so  that  such  wages  are  often  paid^ 
especially  to  women,  as  make  it  impossible  for  them 
to  eke  out  a  livelihood. 

Side  by  side  with  the  poverty,  and  not  less 
dangerous,  we  find  the  vast  accumulations  of  wealth, 
and  the  consequent  luxury  and  selfishness  and  vice 


213  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

of  the  more  refined  sort.  In  all  our  cities  we  have 
the  slums  of  high  life  and  the  slums  of  low  life. 

Many  of  the  noblest  citizens  of  our  great  country 
have  come  from  the  midst  of  our  foreign  population. 
But  we  all  know  that,  for  the  most  part,  it  is  the  worst 
of  the  people  abroad  that  comes  to  our  shores.  The 
percentage  of  criminals  among  the  foreign-born 
population  is  three  and  one-half  times  as  great  as  the 
percentage  among  the  native-born  population.  All 
the  forces  that  tend  downward  meet  the  foreigner 
when  he  comes  to  our  shores.  The  politician  uses 
him,  and  he  becomes  a  voter  before  he  can  speak 
our  tongue  or  know  anything  about  our  institutions. 
(Let  us  meet  him  with  the  Word  of  God.)  I  need 
not  tell  you  that  this  vast  population  from  beyond  the 
seas  congregates  in  our  cities. 

In  the  cities,  too,  Romanism  is  strongest.  Against 
the  dogmas  and  the  worship  of  the  Church  of  Rome 
I  have  nothing  to  say  at  this  time.  But  that  ultra- 
montanism  which  would  have  our  affairs  directed 
by  a  foreign  potentate,  even  if  claiming  to  be  a 
follower  of  the  great  St.  Peter,  is  a  menace  to  the 
welfare  of  this  republic. 

The  political  corruption,  against  which  all  good 
people  are  so  constantly  protesting,  is  at  its  worst  in 
our  cities.  Indeed,  it  is  in  the  city  that  the  throne  of 
that  autocrat,  known  as  a  boss,  is  erected.  This  cor- 
ruption works  mischief  to  every  interest  of  municipal 
life,  and,  by  fostering  for  profit  so  many  haunts  of 
vice,  it  interferes  with  the  redemption  of  the  people. 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  SIS 

Let  any  man  read  the  two  books  by  Albert  Shaw  on 
municipal  life  in  Great  Britain  and  on  the  European 
Continent,  and  he  will  be  convinced  that  the  worst 
governed  cities  within  the  compass  of  Protestant 
civilization  are  the  cities  of  America. 

Only  the  careful  student  of  the  laboring  classes 
realizes  the  social  unrest  prevailing  in  our  American 
cities.  The  consciousness  of  the  wide  contrast  be- 
tween themselves  and  the  capitalist  in  the  distribution 
of  wealth  is  leading  very  many  of  our  masses  to  accept 
with  eagerness  socialism,  communism,  anarchism  or 
any  other  theory  of  social  reorganization  which 
promises  a  short  road  to  comfort  and  to  fortune. 

Now  I  desire  to  say,  with  all  the  emphasis  of  which 
I  am  capable,  that,  for  all  these  conditions  prevailing 
in  our  city  life,  the  cure,  and  the  only  cure,  is  the 
saving  power  of  our  Lord's  Gospel.  That  one  simple 
principle  enunciated  in  the  law  of  love  would  make 
society  everywhere  pure,  if  put  into  practice.  Not 
so  long  ago  it  was  discovered  that  air  might  be 
liquified.  Immediately  it  was  asked,  To  what  uses 
can  it  be  put?  The  other  day  I  read  in  a  scientific 
journal  that  the  air  in  this  form  might  be  carried 
below  into  the  mines,  and  then  let  loose  to  drive 
machinery,  to  furnish  cool  air,  and  for  other  purposes. 
So  our  gospel — so  far  as  it  concerns  our  relation  to 
our  fellow-men — is  crowded  into  that  single  sentence, 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  But  let 
it  loose  in  the  midst  of  the  many  problems  of  human 
life,  and  this  single  rule  becomes  a  tremendous  energy 


214  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

which  makes  tyranny  tremble,  creates  a  new  con- 
ception of  the  duties  of  the  fortunate  to  the  unfortu- 
nate; remodels  society,  and  brings  on  the  millennium. 
But  this  rule  of  love  becomes  effective,  not  when 
announced  as  a  mere  moral  precept,  whether  from 
the  sacred  desk  or  from  the  platform  of  the  secular 
lecturer,  but  only  when  written  by  the  finger  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  by  ^the  processes  of  the  new  birth,  in 
human  hearts.  "  Ye  must  be  born  again  " — we  must 
proclaim  it.  I  deeply  sympathize  with  every  moral 
and  social  reform,  with  every  movement  looking  to 
the  betterment  of  society.  I  know  that  the  purest 
and  best  Christians  need  to  be  told  their  private, 
social  and  civic  duties.  But  it  is  equally  certain  that 
none  of  these  things  are  effectual  without  the  trans- 
forming power  of  divine  grace.  It  is  the  Gospel  only 
that  may  be  called  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. 

In  this  work  of  city  evangelization  no  church  has 
a  larger  responsibility  than  our  own.  If  we  fail,  the 
work  will  not  be  done.  Our  very  history  lays  on  us 
this  obligation.  We  have  not  only  followed  the  popu- 
lation as  it  has  moved  out  to  the  new  countries  in 
the  west,  we  have  done  the  same  with  the  progress  of 
city  life,  whether  among  the  rich  or  among  the  poor. 
Methodism  has  been  not  only  Christianity  in  earnest, 
but  missionary  Christianity  given  to  the  work  of  the 
evangelist.  When  it  ceases  to  be  this,  it  ceases  to  be 
at  all. 

The  simplicity  of  our  worship  adapts  us  to  this 
special  work.  Fortunate  was  it  for  us  that  we  got 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  215 

rid  of  the  English  liturgy.  Beautiful  indeed  is  it,  and 
for  many  persons  a  good  means  for  winging  their 
thoughts  to  heaven.  But  not  by  such  means  is  the 
evangelization  of  the  world  to  be  accomplished. 

Along  with  this  might  be  mentioned  the  simplicity 
of  our  theology.  Elaborate  systems  of  religious 
thought  have  their  place,  but  we  need,  in  bringing 
the  people  to  Christ,  to  lay  stress  on  the  few  fun- 
damentals of  Christian  truth — repentance,  faith,  the 
new  birth,  the  witness  of  the  Spirit.  Not  in  Saul's 
armor,  but  with  David's  sling  and  stone,  will  the 
church  lay  low  the  Goliath  of  sin. 

Our  wonderful  flexibility  makes  it  easy  for  us  to 
bring  ourselves  into  harmony  with  varying  conditions, 
and  to  meet  the  need  of  all  classes  of  the  people.  No 
church,  for  example,  has  lent  itself  more  readily  than 
our  own  to  that  most  recent  religious  movement 
known  as  the  "  Institutional  Church." 

Besides  all  this,  we  have  gone  forth  with  a  religion 
of  experience.  We  have  talked  of  that  which  we  did 
know.  For  this  the  great  crowd  is  clamoring;  and 
it  is  this  which  gives,  in  the  heart  of  the  missionary, 
clerical  or  lay,  the  greatest  impulse  for  the  work  of 
soul-saving. 

Let  us  go  forth  then  with  our  message  of  saving 
grace  to  all  men.  We  must  carry  forth  a  gospel  for 
the  poor.  Sad  will  be  the  day  when  we  put  in  the 
place  of  prominence  the  man  in  fine  apparel,  and 
relegate  the  poor  man  to  the  background.  Surely 
we  shall  do  as  well  as  the  Scotch  poet  who  sang : 

"  A  man's  a  man  for  a'  that." 


216  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

We  must  feel  as  did  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  who 
said  to  the  poor  man  kneeling  restlessly  by  his  side 
at  the  communion  table,  "  Be  still,  here  we  are  all 
equal."  It  must  be  a  gospel  to  the  poor,  telling  them 
in  plainest  terms  their  duty  to  the  church  and  to 
society.  To  do  this  requires  no  little  courage  in 
these  days. 

But  we  must  proclaim  a  gospel  for  the  rich.  They 
have  their  cares  and  their  burdens.  We  are  too  prone 
to  think  of  them  as  so  fortunate  that  they  need  no 
word  of  sympathy  such  as  we  can  bring.  No  home  is 
darker  than  the  home  of  wealth  when  it  is  without 
God.  The  gloomiest  picture  I  have  ever  witnessed 
was  a  home  of  this  kind,  in  which  lay  the  dead  body 
of  an  only  son  who  had  died  of  delirium  tremens. 
It  must  be  a  gospel  to  the  rich.  We  must  tell  them 
their  duty  to  society  and  the  church.  Unrighteous 
modes  of  money-making,  injustice  to  the  poor  em- 
ployee, greedy  self-indulgence  must  be  condemned. 
We  must  faithfully  give  to  the  rich  man  the  gospel 
for  which  he  pays. 

We  must  preach  the  gospel  adapted  to  the  igno- 
rant. A  college  education  is  a  desideratum  for  the 
ministry;  but  it  injures  rather  than  helps  when  it 
separates  the  preacher  from  the  plainer  folk.  Let  us 
not  forget  how  the  most  of  the  life  of  the  great 
Kingsley  was  spent  among  the  uncultured,  and  how 
he  taught  many  of  his  parishioners  how  to  read,  how 
to  think,  how  to  live.  It  is  said  of  our  Lord,  in  whom 
dwelt  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge, 
that  "  the  common  people  heard  him  gladly." 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  gtf 

We  must  have  a  gospel  for  the  scholarship  of  the 
day.  And  indeed  we  have  it.  It  has  long  seemed  to 
me  that  Methodism  was  raised  up  to  meet  the  special 
form  of  unbelief  of  this  nineteenth  century.  That  un- 
belief is  calling  itself  agnosticism;  it  boasts  that  we 
cannot  know  God.  Methodism  asserts  as  does  no 
other  church  the  witness  of  the  Spirit.  It  sings, 

"  What  we  have  felt  and  seen, 

With  confidence  we  tell; 
And  publish  to  the  sons  of  men 
The  signs  infallible." 

The  only  convincing  answer  to  the  unbelief  of  to-day 
is  to  be  found  here.  *  *  * 

The  world  is  ready  for  our  message.  Let  me  give 
you  two  illustrations  of  this  truth.  In  my  first  pas- 
torate, I  was  preaching,  one  Sunday  night,  from  the 
text  beginning,  "  The  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say  come/' 
etc.,  when  I  noticed  a  man,  standing  in  the  vestibule, 
listening  very  intently  to  all  I  was  saying.  I  soon 
recognized  him  as  a  plain,  unlettered  Irishman  I  had 
often  seen  about  town.  At  last  he  came  inside  the 
door,  and  then  some  distance  down  the  aisle,  uncon- 
scious all  the  while  of  the  smiles  and  stares  of  the 
people  in  the  rear  of  the  church.  When  the  congre- 
gation was  dismissed,  he  pressed  his  way  to  me,  and, 
taking  my  hand,  he  said,  "  That's  the  first  preaching 
I've  heard  for  thirty-five  years.  But  I'd  like  to  know 
something  about  that  Jesus  you  talked  about  to- 
night." 

In  a  great  New  York  church  one  Sabbath  evening, 


818  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

after  the  congregation  had  left  the  church,  the  choir 
remained  to  rehearse  a  new  piece  of  music,  and  the 
pastor  was  the  only  listener.  The  words  they  were 
singing  were  those  of  the  familiar  hymn,  beginning, 

"  I  heard  the  voice  of  Jesus  say, 
Come  unto  Me  and  rest." 

Two  newsboys,  poorly  clad,  entered  the  church  on 
tiptoe,  and  gazed,  in  rapture,  with  open  mouths,  at 
the  choir,  and  drank  in  words  and  music.  No  won- 
der, when  it  was  over,  the  preacher  put  his  arm 
around  each  boy  and  kissed  him  fondly  on  his  cheek. 
These  illustrations  are  typical  of  the  world's  hun- 
ger, and  of  the  Gospel's  power  to  satisfy.  When  we 
shall  hold  up  this  Gospel  in  its  sweet  simplicity, 
touched  as  little  as  possible  by  the  forms  of  the  church 
and  by  the  theology  of  the  schools,  then  will  be  ful- 
filled the  words  of  our  Lord,  "  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted 
up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  me." 


V. 

THE  SOCIAL  AND  REVIVAL  MEETINGS  OF 
METHODISM. 

BY    HENRY    E.    JOHNSON,    D.    D. 

The  social  and  revival  meetings  of  Methodism  mark 
an  era  in  the  history  of  Christianity — the  era  of  the 
emancipation  of  the  laity.  Prior  to  the  advent  of 
Methodism  public  worship  was  as  a  rule  performed 
solely  by  the  minister  and  his  clerk  or  other  assistant. 
The  great  body  of  the  people  had  long  been  denied 
any  real  participation  in  the  worship  of  the  sanctuary, 
or  in  the  management  of  the  church  and  its  affairs; 
and  had  ceased  to  feel  any  responsibility  for  either 
the  one  or  the  other.  Religion  was  a  thing  to  be 
attended  to  by  proxy,  and  about  which  the  individual 
conscience  felt  small  concern.  Methodism,  by  the 
thunder  peal  and  lightning  flash  of  its  revival  preach- 
ing, waked  the  slumbering  conscience;  and  then, 
through  its  class-meetings  and  love-feasts,  furnished 
opportunity  for  the  use  of  individual  gifts.  The  hum- 
blest private  Christian  was  made  to  feel  that  he  had 
the  right  to  speak  of  the  work  of  God  in  his  own 

soul,  or  to  persuade  his  fellow-sinners  to  seek  the 

[219] 


SSO  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

Saviour  he  had  found,  or  to  approach  God  in  prayer 
for  his  blessing  on  those  around  him.  In  these 
meetings  the  early  Methodists  were  trained  as  work- 
men, skilled  in  winning  souls  for  Christ,  and  con- 
ducting them  into  his  kingdom.  They  were  not 
polished,  but  they  were  powerful;  they  were  rude  in 
speech,  but  not  in  knowledge  concerning  the  vital 
matters  of  repentance,  faith  and  conversion. 

The  full  import  of  this  emancipation  of  the  laity 
from  the  bondage  of  silence  has  not  been  appreciated 
among  us,  even  by  the  historians  of  Methodism. 
One  of  the  important  subjects  just  now  engaging 
the  attention  of  medical  science,  is  the  rediscovery  of 
the  art  of  breathing.  Impelled  by  some  of  the  cus- 
toms of  modern  life,  we  have  been  gasping  instead 
of  breathing — at  each  inspiration  filling  only  a  small 
part  of  the  lung,  leaving  the  remainder  vacant  and 
idle.  The  result  has  been  an  enfeebled  and  devital- 
ized body  which  falls  an  easy  prey  to  any  invading 
disease.  Deep  breathing  in  a  pure  atmosphere  is  the 
art  of  health;  for  it  furnishes  an  enlarged  surface  on 
which  the  vitalizing  fluid  can  act  for  the  enriching 
of  the  fountain  of  life.  So  the  class-meeting,  the  love- 
feast  and  the  revival  have  enlarged  the  surface  in  the 
body  of  the  church,  on  which  the  Holy  Ghost  can 
act,  thus  improving  its  health  and  increasing  its 
power. 

The  class-meeting  was  the  unit  of  Methodism — 
that  around  which  the  whole  system  revolved.  It 
furnished  to  the  pastor  the  best  analysis  of  the  con- 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  $21 

gregation  he  has  ever  been  able  to  obtain.  Preaching 
deals  with  the  crowd;  the  class-meeting  deals  with  the 
individual.  Just  here  is  found  the  essential  difference 
between  the  spirit  of  Romanism  and  the  spirit  of 
Protestantism.  Romanism  destroys  individualism  by 
swallowing  up  the  individual  in  the  church.  Metho- 
dism brought  to  birth  an  individual  religious  con- 
sciousness, which  is  the  basis  of  equality  and  the 
foundation  of  manliness.  Romanism  stretches  its  flat 
monotony  prairie-like  across  the  human  conscious- 
ness, while  Methodism  rears  its  serrated  crest  like  a 
longitudinal  mountain  range,  down  the  continent  of 
experience,  while  its  foot-hills  slope  away  to  the 
bank  of  the  River  of  Life. 

The  class-meeting  and  love-feast  were  the  culti- 
vators of "  experience."  The  Methodist  knew  that  he 
or  she  would  be  expected  to  speak  in  class,  hence 
sought  in  communion  with  God  for  further  progress 
of  the  work  within,  whereof  to  testify.  No  other 
machinery  yet  discovered  has  proven  so  effective  in 
the  care  of  converts,  as  the  old  time  Methodist  class- 
meeting.  No  other  interest  of  the  church  gives  the 
pastor  so  much  concern,  or  costs  him  so  much  pain, 
as  the  care  of  those  just  born  into  the  Kingdom; 
and  surely  no  safer  method  of  providing  for  this  diffi- 
cult task  has  yet  appeared  than  that  which  our 
fathers  used  so  well. 

Nor  is  this,  as  some  have  thought,  a  human  inven- 
tion, for  it  rests  on  a  broad  scriptural  base.  The 
Word  often  refers  to  godly  people  as  "  witnesses  for 


Mi  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

God,"  and  while  the  language  may  incidentally  refer 
to  conduct,  yet  clearly  its  primary  meaning  is  oral 
testimony.  Oh,  what  testimonies  we  have  heard  in 
the  class-room!  The  cumulative  power  of  such  tes- 
timonies, sweeping  the  whole  gamut  of  intellectual 
ability,  from  that  of  the  drayman  off  the  streets  of 
Washington,  to  that  of  Hon.  John  McLean,  justice 
of  the  supreme  bench  of  the  nation,  is  the  best  lecture 
on  the  Christian  evidences  we  have  ever  heard.  What 
prayers  we  have  heard  in  class  and  love-feast!  I 
recall  a  love-feast  at  old  Bellamy's  Church  in  Glou- 
cester when  penitents  came  forward  to  seek  the 
Saviour.  The  presiding  elder  called  on  Brother 
Betty,  of  Richmond,  to  pray.  The  grand  old  class- 
leader  prayed  until  his  soul  was  in  a  flame  of  holy 
rapture.  I  was  afraid  to  open  my  eyes  for  fear  I 
would  see  God,  for  that  man  prayed  as  Moses  prayed 
when  he  saw  God  face  to  face.  He  prayed  until  it 
was  like  the  second  Pentecost.  "  The  place  was 
shaken  where  they  were  assembled  together;  "  and 
the  stove-pipe  fell  with  a  great  crash,  but  Brother 
Betty  did  not  stop  until  the  shouts  of  happy  converts 
told  that  the  answer  had  come. 

The  social  and  revival  meetings  of  early  Methodism 
possessed  no  greater  influence  over  the  popular  mind 
than  the  hearty  singing  of  the  spiritual  songs  of  that 
day.  Nor  has  Methodism  suffered  anywhere  a  greater 
loss  than  in  the  substitution  of  the  over-cooked  and 
dessicated  productions  of  so-called  musical  science, 
rendered,  alas!  too  often,  by  unwashed  lips,  for  the 


CENTENNIAL  ADDRESSES.  223 

spontaneous,  simple,  heart-stirring  worship  of  an 
entire  congregation.  We  recall  a  scene  at  the  Wesley 
Grove  Camp-ground.  It  was  a  Sunday  morning  love- 
feast;  many  had  spoken  of  the  goodness  of  God,  and 
our  hearts  were  tender.  A  venerable  man  arose  and 
tremblingly  leaned  on  his  cane  as  he  told  of  a  long 
pilgrimage  and  the  sustaining  power  of  grace  in  the 
midst  of  sore  trials  and  bereavements.  Then  with 
that  far-away  look  which  marks  the  eye  of  faith  he 
said:  "  I  am  nearing  the  river;  I  can  see  the  other 
shore;  the  walls  of  the  city  are  flashing  with  light; 
the  gate  is  open;  faces  of  loved  ones  are  beaming  on 
me;  they  beckon  me  to  cross;  I  want  you,  who  are 
around  me  here  to-day,  to  be  with  me  there;  be  sure 
to  come."  He  sank  exhausted  to  his  seat.  Instantly, 
that  prince  of  song,  Jeff.  Magruder,  started  the 
chorus — 

We'll  be  there,  we'll  be  there. 

A  thousand  voices  leaped  to  the  refrain;  and  in  a 
moment  the  camp  was  in  a  holy  commotion;  while 
shouts  of  praise  drowned  the  voices  of  the  singers. 

*       *       * 

There  remains  for  this  review,  one  unique  depart- 
ment of  Methodist  revival  work;  that  is,  the  camp- 
meeting.  Not  one  of  our  modern  religious  picnics 
at  a  pleasure  resort.  Not  a  promenade  ground  where 
the  belles  and  beaux  might  disport  their  finery  in 
the  clouds  of  dust;  not  a  place  for  social  reunions 
and  neighborhood  gossip.  No,  no!  The  old-time 


SS4  RICHMOND  METHODISM. 

camp-meeting  was  a  challenge  to  the  powers  of  dark- 
ness; it  was  a  charge  of  the  Light  Brigade  on  the 
entrenchments  of  the  black-bannered  hosts  of  hell. 

My  first  camp-meeting  was  during  the  first  year  of 
my  ministry.  It  was  held  at  Salem,  on  Gloucester 
circuit.  Three  thousand  people  assembled  under  the 
great  brush  arbor  covering  nearly  an  acre  of  ground. 
It  was  there,  on  Tuesday  morning,  that  David  S.  Dog- 
gett,  then  presiding  elder  of  the  District,  preached 
the  greatest  sermon  of  his  life.  His  theme  was,  "  The 
Freedom  of  the  Will;"  his  text:  "Choose  you  this 
day  whom  ye  will  serve."  At  one  point  in  the  dis- 
course the  mighty  rush  of  emotion  overcame  the 
normal  self-poise  of  the  great  preacher.  He  stood 
for  two  minutes  quivering,  silent,  speechless.  Then 
with  a  mighty  burst  of  eloquence  he  swayed  the  great 
assembly  as  a  forest  is  swayed  by  a  tornado.  Fifty- 
four  persons  rushed  forward  and  fell  on  their  knees 
with  cries  and  groans  for  mercy,  and  nearly  one 
hundred  were  converted  that  day. 


NOTE. — Brief  addresses  by  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Beauchamp  and 
others  were  put  in  type  for  this  volume,  but  were  crowded  out 
by  an  unexpected  addition  to  the  historical  material,  which, 
under  the  rule,  had  the  right  of  way. 


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